


Twin Hatchets (Book 1 of SoulNames)

by rebeccasccott



Series: SoulNames [1]
Category: Creepypasta - Fandom, Fairy Tail
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Creepypasta, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Fairy Tail Dragon Slayers, M/M, Multi, Original Character(s), Polyamory, Relationship(s), Sabertooth (Fairy Tail), Slow Build, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-10-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 23:50:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 42,923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10955310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rebeccasccott/pseuds/rebeccasccott
Summary: You have chosen Tobias Rogers.Ryujin is the strongest Mage throughout all of the kingdoms. As the most powerful Wizard Saint, she is praised and hailed for her skills. However, being the only Daughter of Satan is not the strangest aspect about her, by any means. When her Guild receives a peculiar job request, Ryujin is thrown into a world of strange serial killers known as the Creepypastas. The problem isn't being asked to catch them, however.A certain boy with Tourettes and her name inked on his body is.





	1. The Forest

**Author's Note:**

> In this book, if a person has not found their SoulMate, they cannot see colour.

**She shuddered under his gaze. Her eyes turned back to the hatchets. They would be the most useful in battle, as if one was lost, she always could rely on the other. Reaching her chained hand out, she raised a broken finger to point to the twin weapons. The figure stiffened, reaching a gnarled hand up to stroke at a beard that looked as if it was made from wires. He then smiled crookedly at her, waving a hand over the axes. The rest of the items disappeared, and a bright light appeared over the remaining weapons. She squinted and cringed away from the blinding shine, barely able to make out the glowing eyes of the figure as he stepped back.**

**"Good luck."**

**And with that, she was released, and then she was falling, and then she was gone.**

**-**

**Cold. Everything Toby knew was cold. He couldn't feel the shackles digging into his wrist, but he knew that they were causing damage. How long had he been here? Something bright shone through his eyelids, and when he cracked them open, he felt warmth seeping through his bicep. He struggled weakly, listening to the clanking of the metal restraints as the light shone brighter and brighter. He squinted as a figure appeared in front of him, grinning widely as it held out a skinny hand to him. He growled fiercely at it and began struggling more violently, feeling rage seep through his weak body. The figure never moved, its eyes fixed on the man's enraged face. His restraints broke free, and something pushed him into the light before he could react.**

**"It is your time."**

 

 

-

 

"Remind me as to _why_  we allowed Sting to talk us into this job?"

Ryujin's eyes flicked up to Rogue's frowning face, momentarily disregarding the map she was holding in front of her face. She felt her eyebrows pull down into a frown and didn't reply, instead sliding her eyes back to the wrinkled piece of paper that she had been studying. Rogue's scowl reached her ears and she snapped her eyes up to his narrowed ones, a slight warning flashing in her reptile-like irises.

_Back off, Rogue._

Frosch, whom had been perched upon the Shadow Dragon Slayer's shoulder perked up upon hearing his friend speak, and his cheerful voice pierced the eerie silence of the depressing forest. He giggled and poked Rogue's cheek, causing the man to look up at him, a small but distinguishable smile ghosting across his face as he looked up to his Exceed.

"You're not as nice as normal when you're grumpy, Rogue." He chirped, and Ryujin bit back a smile as Rogue blinked in surprise at the statement. Rogue turned his head away from his friend, his jet black hair falling into his face as he fell into step with Ryujin once again.

"I don't mean to be." He said shortly, and Ryujin wanted to almost feel sorry for her brother. She knew that Rogue was tired, and didn't have the energy to keep up with Frosch's hyper personality. She was tempted to offer to take Frosch, but she was in no better mood than her triplet and knew that she would only end up snapping at the tiny Exceed if Rogue did hand him over to her. Instead, she focused on keeping her left hand illuminated, a spell that Sting had taught her so many years ago that it was almost second nature by now to call upon when it was needed. She spared a glance out of the corner of her eye at Rogue's slouched figure and caught Frosch about to reach out to tug at Rogue's ponytail. She cleared her throat quietly, making the Exceed jump and peer at her with a curious expression plastered onto his face. She shook her head ever so slightly, and Frosch looked like he was going to protest before she frowned at him. He huffed and Ryujin quickly glanced away before Rogue looked up at them after hearing the Exceed. She could feel his eyes burning into the side of her passive face, and she focused on looking as interested as possible in the map. She knew that Rogue would not mind having his hair played with any other time, hell, he loved it, although he would never admit it to anyone, but right now Frosch's touch would only irritate him even further. She knew he would snap, and that would upset Frosch, which would in turn upset Rogue which would then lead to Ryujin herself becoming even more agitated. They walked on.

-

"You never answered my question." Rogue's voice cut across the silence of the forest, and any normal person would have immediately flinched. However, Ryujin was far from normal, and she spared  him a glance out of the corner of her eye again. She pursed her lips and contemplated not replying but decided to humour him.

"The final decision was Sting's, it was not my call to make, and we do not have the right to refuse our Master's request." She replied dryly, her eyes flicking over his hunched form. Ryujin frowned as she really took in his condition. His normally pale face was practically ashen, dark circles under his eyes emphasising his exhaustion. His lips were cracked and his eyes seemed to be duller than what they normally were. She couldn't really tell due to the lack of colour in her vision. His shoulders were hunched and he was practically bent over from the weight of the large duffel bags slung over his shoulders. His boots were caked in mud and dragging heavily across the ground, and it looked like every single step he took was painful. His arms were crossed, hands tucked tightly into his armpits. His hair was messy and dull, and Frosch's constant tugging had pulled out more than a few strands.

Overall, he looked like shit.

She knew that she probably didn't look any better. Her back was aching under the weight of her own duffel bag, and every joint in her body felt like it was on fire with every movement and breath. Her feet were burning and she dreaded every step she took. She contemplated summoning Skiadrum for the forty seventh time, and for the forty seventh time decided against it. To summon a dragon of his colossal size would be catastrophic. The forest was tight and cramped, and the path that the two siblings were walking on was so narrow that with every step they took their shoulders bumped and their thighs grazed. If she summoned the Shadow Dragon here, it would only cause him pain as he would become trapped within the sharp branches of the trees, not to mention that Ryujin would become even more tired than she already was. Much like Celestial Spirit magic, keeping a spirit in this Realm was a constant drain on her magic power. She had been keeping Weisslogia in this world for almost two months now for Sting to use when he was finished with the official guild business that had forced him to remain back in Fiore instead of coming with them at the time. The job request was in a village that was hundreds of thousands of miles away, and due to their motion sickness as Dragon Slayers, they could not travel with the rest of the guild on the trains. Instead, Ryujin had suggested using Skiadrum for the majority of the journey, but when they reached the massive black forest her magic power had failed her and they had landed as soon as possible. She could still remember the terrified yells of Rogue as she had faded into unconsciousness and supressed a shudder. Ryujin knew there was something wrong with the forest as soon as they reached it. There was something in the shadows. She had **never** run out of magic power before, she could use her original Dragon Slayer power for months on end without fail, and she could summon hundreds of spirits who outsized Skiadrum by a hundred times over. Something in the forest had sucked her magic power from her, and she knew that she was lucky to be alive.

She spared Rogue another glance and frowned again. He hadn't been affected whatsoever by the forest, and she had considered asking him to eat the shadows that cloaked the trees in eternal darkness, but decided against it. A wizard can die if their magic power was drained fully, and if the shadows were powerful enough to knock even _her_  out, then there was no questioning it.

If Rogue consumed those shadows, he would die.

-

_Ryujin had jerked awake, gasping for breath as she coughed. She turned over onto her side and vomited violently, retching and gasping as she choked for air. Almost instantly cold hands had wrapped around her hair, pulling it away from her face as the other rubbed her back soothingly. She had begun greedily gulping down mouthfuls of the stale air, the strange oxygen rushing to her burning lungs as she trembled._

_"Ryu!" She had tensed when Rogue grabbed her shoulder and was shocked beyond belief when he had dragged her into a bone-crushing embrace, his large arms wrapping around her tiny but muscular frame as he had dragged her towards his chest. She had stiffened and then relaxed, a shaky hand coming up to rest on his shoulder blade as he buried his face into her neck._

_"Don't ever do that again!" He had exclaimed as she had peered around, searching for Skiadrum. He was nowhere to be found, and it was pitch black. She had attempted to pull back but he had refused to release her, his grip tightening on her somehow._

_"How long was I out? And where is Skiadrum?" She had questioned, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing tightly before pushing at his chest gently. His eyes had been shining and she had realised with a jolt that he had been crying._

_"You've been out for almost five days now. Skiadrum disappeared when we reached these trees."_

_His response had shocked her._

-

After Frosch had practically strangled her when he woke up, they had fought for almost a whole day about going into the forest. Unfortunately, Ryujin's exhaustion had overwhelmed her and she had collapsed before she could kick the shit out of her older brother. She had woken up in Rogue's arms and had begun yelling at him before promptly passing out again. She had been passing in and out of consciousness for the next two days, and had finally recovered enough to walk on her own, despite Rogue's protests. Her magic power was already extremely low, as was her physical strength. She was exhausted, but nothing could be done. The constant drainage of her magic was taking its toll on her once again, and she was barely able to keep the light in her fist steady. When her foot hit a rock, she was sent sprawling into the mud with a surprised noise in the back of her throat. Rogue was instantly at her side, and she pushed her hands into the mud to catch herself from falling face first into the dirt. She growled in irritation and allowed Rogue to pull her to her feet before swiping vigorously at the mud covering her clothing. She was covered from head to toe with mud, and she let out a fierce rumble in her chest as she realised that her SoulName had been completely obscured with the slimy mud through her clothes.

"Fuck." She muttered under her breath so that Frosch didn't hear, and began wiping furiously at the dirty material covering of her muscled thigh. Relief flooded through her when the name, scrawled in messy yet slightly rounded handwriting, came back into view. She traced over the letters absentmindedly to calm herself down before she summoned Jackal to blow the shit out of the forest. Her patience was extremely low, and she was in no mood to have her precious SoulName sullied. She glanced down once again at the name before motioning to Rogue to continue walking. As they started walking again, the SoulName became exposed through her now semi-transparent combat trousers.

**"Tobias Rogers".**

 


	2. The Village

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryujin and Rogue reach the village where their job request came from.

It was by no means unusual for Sabertooth to receive specific job requests, which asked for specific people to deal with specific problems.

However, it was _very_ unusual to receive a request in which the entire guild is summoned.

-

Ryujin had been present when the job request had first been introduced. She had been sitting on Sting's desk in the Master's Office of the Guild Hall when the village chief and his numerous sons burst through the Guild doors, the rancid smell of unwashed bodies and desperation hitting her in the face long before they were even escorted to the base of the staircase which led to the upper floors of the Guild Hall. She had jumped up right before the door had flown open and the villagers were ushered in, and had been shoved to the side in an offhanded manner as the chief introduced himself to Sting. She had barked her annoyance at the villagers whom had barely spared her a glance, and was close to kicking the crap out of the sexist pigs before Sting had told her to back down. She had remained whilst the chief blubbered his sob story to the Master of Sabertooth about how creatures were slaughtering his people and that they were rapidly dying out, and had begged and pleaded for Sabertooth's aid. She had also been present when they had demanded that the First came, that the strongest of the Ten Wizard saints would come with their Guild to help them, that his power was needed the most. She could still remember the look on the villagers' faces when Sting had declared that Ryujin was the First, and the feeling of satisfaction that washed over her when it happened. She had not been bothered by the fact that it was assumed she was a male. Her name was that of a God's; and she had been the subjected to false impressions ever since she left her dragon, Hoseki. She attempted to recall the feeling now as shivers shot down her spine, the chill spreading throughout the rest of her body as she stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the row of houses that lined the streets of the village. Ryujin bit her lip. The smell of blood had always intrigued her.

 

Ryujin shared a look with Rogue, an uncertain emotion passing between them as they began to proceed, their boots scuffing against the dirt roads. Her nose wrinkled as her boots unintentionally kicked up dust clouds. Her nose tickled and throat burned as the grains of the dirt became lodged there. She turned to Rogue to ask for his water, but to her irritation he was already chugging it down. She bit back a growl of frustration and opted for trying to clear her throat. She coughed into her hand and stiffened when she felt a sticky substance coat her digits. She pulled her hand away and her pupils dilated when a dark oozy substance came into view. She glanced to Rogue and quicky wiped her hand on her coat and dismissed it for the time being. They continued on.

As they did, something became apparent to the siblings. Ryujin felt Rogue shiver and realised that at some point they had drifted closer to each other. Their hands were now brushing with every movement they made. Rogue's skin was clammy and cold, and Ryujin twined her fingers with his and squeezed them gently. He gladly returned her gesture and she quickly cast a spell to warm her brother's hand before pulling away. She pushed the map further into her pocket in order to prevent the strong winds from whipping it away, and tensed when the gales changed directions and began blowing in their direction.

The houses. They reeked. There was no way to truly describe it. It is like tears and blood, like the mouldy stench of rot and stale air, like the bitter sting of terror and desperation. Like the sweet relief of the end of pain. Ryujin pursed her lips.

She really hated the smell of death.

-

"You shouldn't be here." Ryujin whipped around before Rogue even had time to react and pushed him and Frosch behind her and gripped the strap of her duffle bag. She squared her shoulders and spaced her legs to match their width. She would much rather be on the offence rather than the defence but at present there was nothing she could do. They could only use violence in areas that the chief had given permission, and sadly this was not one of them, even though all of these houses were completely devoid of life.

A small girl stood barefoot in the middle of the dirt road, clutching a scruffy teddy bear to her chest. She was wearing a light nightdress which reached her dirty ankles and it was stained with dark splotches. She didn't need to hear Rogue's sharp intake of breath to know that those stains were blood. Her nose never lied to her. The coppery metallic stench of blood was one that was unfortunately not unfamiliar to her, and her grip on her strap loosened ever so slightly. She frowned deeply at the girl's wide eyes and trembling lips and took one step towards her.

Bad move.

A Dragon Slayer's hearing was superior to that of a dog's many times over, and it was rare that Ryujin ever resented this advantage. However, when the girl's jaws opened wider than should ever be possible for any being and a bloodcurdling scream so loud that the siblings were forced to clap their hands over their ears, she resented it. Just slightly. Ryujin jerked back and grunted in surprise, turning to see Rogue clamping one of his hands over Frosch's suit-covered ears. The small Exceed was crying and shrieking in terror, and blood was beginning to trickle down from Rogue's ear. She whirled back around and charged at the little girl, her right hand sparking with gemstones as she prepared to strike. She reared up upon the girl and dealt the death blow, a rush of adrenaline racing through her body as her original magic coursed back to life within her.

**"Sapphire Dragon: Gauntlet!"**

Her hand was instantly encased in a glove made of sapphire, which flashed as her eyes were reflected in it. Ryujin's eyes were wide and wild, and she knew that she looked terrifying. Her fist crashed into the dirt ground, and her eyes widened when she realised her mistake. The ground began to shake violently and she lunged to her feet, staring at where the phantom had been standing.

"Ryujin!" Rogue shouted from behind her, and she narrowed her eyes as she steadied herself. Her fists began to pulse with a different light, and she lunged to her knees as she slammed her hands deep into the ground.

**"Shockwave!"**

The magic shot through the ground, slamming into the waves that were causing the earthquake and instantly nullifying them. She gritted her teeth as the spell sent sparks of pain up her arms and she let out an animalistic snarl as the shockwaves began to calm down. She was in control. She was not going to lose to herself again. She blinked the stars from her eyes and stood shakily, turning back to see Rogue staring at her with wide eyes. She bowed her head to her superior and began walking back to him, shaking off his hand from her shoulder when she passed.

"I'm not upset with you. You were trying to protect us." He said quietly, and she flinched slightly. She hated it when he did that. She was not a child who needed to be consoled when she made a mistake. She could handle her problems on her own, she did _not_ need to be coddled.

"I knew you weren't." She said flatly, slinging her bag back over her shoulder and continuing on. She really was not in the mood to deal with Rogue's sympathy. It was her mistake, she did not need his pity. She should have known the girl was a phantom from her lack of heartbeat, but instead she let her rage consume her and attack blindly without any sort of strategy. She had to stay in control.

_She had to._

 -

"Relative of yours, Mistress?" Ryujin's head snapped up and she looked blankly at the smug face of Orga. Her fists clenched and she bit back a growl. Instead, she allowed her eyes to narrow at him, and watched as his hulking figure flinched and shrank back from her heated gaze. She became of Rogue's presence again when the warmth of his chest hit her back, and his breath fanned over her neck.

"Calm down." He murmured into her ear, and she scoffed and ducked away from him.

"Tch. Like I give a shit about what he says." She snapped, swiftly making her way to Orga. She passed him quickly, headed towards the light emanating from the street in front of them. Her pace quickened when a familiar scent reached her nose, and she could feel the vibrations from Rogue's footsteps on the ground as he sped up as well. Ryujin quickly tracked the scent of cinnamon and caramel to a large building in the end of the road, passing members of her Guild swiftly and ignoring their greetings as the building loomed closer. Two men were standing in front of the doors, and they moved closer together and held out their palms to block her from entering when she approached. She narrowed her eyes at them and scowled when they did not move. They were both tall, with skin so dark it was almost black and eyes so guarded that she wouldn't be surprisedif shields popped up on their eyebrows. Muscles rippled under their skin, and their bare torsos were littered with small cuts and bruises. Aeron's chest rumbled with an angry growl and she quickly unbuttoned the top few buttons of her shirt. She pulled the rough fabric down to expose her Guild mark to the now stuttering men, who parted like the Red Sea to allow her to pass. They didn't mention the scars littering her arms and shoulders, and she was glad.

When Rogue reached her, she was already refastening her shirt back and readjusting it underneath her leather waistcoat. She snapped the buttons closed and tugged her long coat closed. The coat reached her ankles and was dark, and had very deep pockets for stashing weapons. Her knee-high leather boots made muffled clunking sounds as she walked down the hall, following the scent. She glanced down to her feet and noticed that their laces had come undone slightly. She pursed her lips. The confrontation with the phantom could have went very badly if she had tripped over her own feet. She whirled around when a strong hand clamped down onto her shoulder, a snarl ripping past her bared fangs as she raised her hand to strike the person whom had dared to touch her. Rogue's stern face came into view and he caught her wrist in his other hand before she could touch his face, and she jerked back with an angry scoff.

"You know not to do that. You got a death wish, brother?" She scowled at him, spinning on her heel and continuing on her journey. Frosch had been watching their exchange and now decided that it was time to cheer his friend up. He landed on her shoulder and began petting her head, and she frowned up at the Exceed silently. She didn't complain though. She allowed herself to lean into his touch ever so slightly, and almost purred. He was as good as Tep was at this...

Her eyes widened and she jerked away from the Exceed, causing him to fall from her shoulder with a shriek. Instantly Rogue was there to catch him, and he scowled fiercely at his sister as she backed away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" He snapped, and Ryujin felt her anger rise up in her chest. She stomped forward and fisted his collar, yanking his face down to hers. A fierce snarl was once again displayed across her face, and she was ready to begin yelling when the doors in front of them slammed open and warm hands were yanking them apart. Fingers closed on her coat collar and pulled her away from Rogue, and she was about to start kicking until the familliar scent of caramel and cinnamon flooded her nose. She was lifted into the air at the same time as Rogue and she was met with the annoyed eyes of Sting Eucliffe. Her grip on Rogue's collar went slack and she scowled down at the ground, bowing her head to her brother and Guild Master. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Rogue leaning eagerly into Sting's touch, and her stomach tightened into a knot. She looked away as Sting put her down and pulled Rogue into a tight embrace. She looked to Frosch and picked him up into her arms, backing away slightly when Sting extended an arm to her. His frown deepened at her reluctance and his gloved hand reached out to grip her arm and pull him to her forcefully, wrapping his arm around her quickly so she couldn't escape. Her nose bumped his pectoral and she unconsciously leaned further into her brother, inhaling his scent deeply. However, it was now mixed with the scent of lavender and liquorice. Rogue's scent. She squeezed her eyes closed and reached an arm around Sting's waist, clutching him tightly to her. She bit her lip as her chest began to burn and as Frosch wriggled out of her grip to greet Lector, who was at Sting's feet. She wrapped her other arm around Rogue's waist and relaxed fully when his arm circled around her shoulders and clutched at Sting's bicep. Rogue's cloak covered her head, and she kept her eyes closed to avoid looking at the shadows and to fully immerse herself into her siblings' touch.

The Dragon Triplets were reunited.

 

-

 

Rogue had been the first one to pull away, reaching up to place a gentle kiss on Sting's chiselled jawline. It was both an act of affection and need. Sting's scent glands were extremely strong where his neck and jawline connected. It was natural for SoulMates to want to be affectionate, but right now Aeron could not stand it. She stepped away and knelt down with her arms open to greet Lector, who flung himself into her embrace and squeezed her as tight as he could. This, however, proved to be a mistake.

As Ryujin laid on her side, choking and throwing up more of the dark substance and watching with blurry vision as Sting flung himself to his knees next to her and Rogue raced away to find help, all she could think was that it was really unpleasant to make two mistakes in one day.

 

-

When the Slayer woke, she was met with a warm sensation surrounding both of her hands. She opened her eyes slowly, blinking rapidly and squinting in the dimness. She looked down to see Sting and Rogue on either side of her, their heads resting on her thighs and their hands twined with her own. Their other hands were clasped over her legs, fingers locked as they slept soundly. She let her face lift into a tiny smile for a short moment at the sight of her brothers before raising her head to take in her surroundings. She was in what looked to be a hospital bed, but her sight was obscured from the rest of the room due to a white sheet being draped over railings that hung next to her cot. She yawned and instantly winced as pain shot through her throat. The coughing began again, and she was forced to roll sharply onto her side to vomit, choking and gasping for breath as Sting and Rogue scrambled up, blinking blearily and their movements still slightly groggy from being pulled from sleep so abruptly.

Instantly they were at her side, pulling her hair back and shoving a bowl into her lap. She hunched over it, gripping the sides as she vomited again and again. She coughed and gagged, hearing movement outside of the sheets. She flinched when cold hands touched her burning skin, and she whined ever so slightly when her head was pulled up and a light was shone into her eyes. She jerked away from the flashlight and shrank back into her uncomfortable bed, slapping away the numerous hands that were reaching for her.

"Don't fucking touch me, scum!" She snarled, grasping one wrist in her hand so tightly that the slightest movement would shatter the bone instantly. A sharp cry was heard and warmer, gentler hands were wrapped around her own, prying her fingers from the wrist and pushing her down. Sting's eyes came into view, his messy hair flopping over his forehead as he spoke rapidly, and even though she couldn't really understand she could make out the words "calm", "help" and "sick". She stilled when Frosch and Lector appeared, and watched as they began patting her legs in an attempt to calm her. Lector had been slightly more reluctant to do something so "uncool", but had finally caved in when he made eye contact with a stern looking Frosch. She huffed when the hands began to back away and she slumped into the feather pillows, gasping raggedly for breath as her chest heaved up and down. The bowl was picked up and she groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes. She opened her eyes when her arm was tugged and saw Sting standing next to the village chief and a man in a white coat. Obviously a doctor. She growled at the doctor as he tried to spoon feed her some sort of dark liquid. She slapped his hand away and moved to stand up, only to be pushed back down again. She was a _Dragon Slayer,_ she did not need medicine which wouldn't do shit and would probably taste like shit as well. She coughed one more time and was relieved to see that she wasn't bringing up any more of the black substance.

"The fu- hell happened?" She croaked, mindful of Frosch's presence. The village chief turned to the doctor and began speaking in a rapid, guttural language. She looked up to Sting and Rogue and when she felt a chill she looked down, realising she wasn't wearing a shirt. Thankfully her bandages which she used for a bra were still intact, but other bandages now adorned her body as well. She scowled and began tugging at them, knowing they were only going to tear anyway.

"Cut that out!" Rogue snapped, grabbing her hands and forcing a snarl out of her. If he had been anyone other than himself or Sting, she would have sent him crashing into the wall. Instead she opted for pulling away and standing up quickly, striding past the doctor and chief and shoving back the makeshift curtain. She recoiled when she was met with the stench of death and hissed, raising her hand to her mouth and nose. She quickly stormed out of the room, slamming the door open and entering a very large hall. She looked up when the sound of silence hit her, and she didn't even blink as the entire Sabertooth Guild stared at her from their tables. She simply sighed and ran a hand through her hair as she walked over to Minerva and sat down, grabbing a fork and sniffing at it before chomping down on it. She rested her head on her hand as she chewed and contemplated finding some more iron to eat.

After all, growing up with Gajeel Redfox had its perks.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As said in the story description, this story will be a slow build. Toby will be mentioned in the next chapter, but he will not appear in person until a few chapters into the story.


	3. The C-Files

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryujin & co. are given their job details and receive information packs about certain threats.

"Madam, you really shouldn't walk around here without a shirt on. The villagers aren't exactly the most well-mannered." Ryujin did not even look up from her book to acknowledge Minerva's comment, instead opting to grunt and turn a page. They had all been summoned to the Dining Hall and she was currently sitting on Rogue's lap, resting her feet on Yukino's legs as she perched on Minerva. She was acutely aware of the stares of the villagers whom had been summoned also, but she really couldn't give a flying fuck. Rogue, whom had protested Ryujin's position in his lap had finally fallen silent but now decided to interject.

"If you would just wear my cloak until your clothes are cleaned we would not have to worry about the villagers assaulting you." His voice was angled away from her, and she knew he was avoiding looking at her on purpose. She twisted in his lap, making him squirm and wriggle underneath her.

"I'm not worried about myself. The villagers will be the ones in trouble if they try to fuck with me." She said nonchalantly and shrugged her shoulders, catching Yukino's eye. She seemed sad, and frowned at the Dragon Slayer.

"That's what I'm worried about." Rogue muttered under his breath, earning an elbow to the ribs. He coughed and protested, pushing at her arms as she made a triumphant sound in the back of her throat. When Minerva opened her mouth to argue, she snapped her book shut with a loud thud and placed it on the table in front of them. She turned to the Territory Mage with a stern look and waited until her mouth closed before speaking.

"If the village chief wanted our help he should have taught the villagers to respect us. We are giving time to help with this S-Class Mission and yet they are being vulgar enough to shamelessly ogle me," she had raised her voice so the villagers would be able to hear her. She knew they did by the way they shifted in their seats and averted their eyes from her figure. "If the villagers are looking for trouble, then they'll have found it. I would expect that they know better than to piss me off, and if they don't... well, it won't be my fault as to what will happen to them." She picked up her book again and was about to open it when the two large and heavy looking doors in the hall opened and the village chief strode in, followed by Sting and scantily clad female guards who couldn't seem to take their eyes off the young Guild Master. Ryujin felt Rogue's chest rumble with an angry growl and she quickly grabbed his hand and squeezed to calm him down. He relaxed very slightly and gripped her hand tightly, exchanging annoyed glances with his sister before standing up. She slid off his lap smoothly and waited until Sting had reached the long table at the end of the hall before sitting down with the rest of her Guild. She saw that the villagers remained standing and were throwing them filthy looks, to which Aeron bared her teeth in response. They sat down at different times and speeds when the village chief sat, and Aeron couldn't help but compare how idiotic they looked compared to the organised synchronisation of the Sabertooth members. She sat on a seat next to Rogue and waited for Sting to stand again when the village chief motioned him to. He stepped forward and let his arms hang by his sides. He waited for the cheers of his Guild to die down before beginning to speak.

"Now that we have all gathered here, I can fully explain to you what is going on." His raspy voice echoed through the hall, instantly enrapturing his Guild members. As he scanned the crowd, his eyes landed on his siblings. His gaze lingered on them momentarily before moving away. "For the past eight years, the Metztli tribe has been terrorised and hunted down by a group of sociopaths relentlessly. The attacks of these beings have no regular patterns, but they tend to occur more frequently at night," Aeron's eyebrows raised.

 _So, the Moon tribe is often attacked at night? Ironic._ She was pulled from her thoughts when Sting began to speak again.

"These people are extremely dangerous and have killed almost three thousand people of what was once a great and powerful town. Now, the population of this tribe has dwindled down to mere hundreds, and are still dropping rapidly. These psychopaths are always armed and show no mercy to their victims. Over the eight year period, the Metztli tribe has been able to gather information about these murderers. There are fifteen of them have been confirmed to hunt here. You will all be given information files about each killer, and you are to study and memorise every single detail about them." He raised his chin, glaring sternly at Sabertooth. His Guild. His family. His eyes flicked to Ryujin and Rogue again. The young girl may only be adoptive on paper, but to him and Rogue she was flesh and blood. His husband made eye contact with him and frowned when he saw the look in his eyes. To anyone else, Sting would have looked simply stern and expectant. But Rogue could see much more. Sting was afraid. Rogue's eyes widened and flashed with concern before Sting looked away, his jaw clenched.

"Our mission is to track these killers down and detain them. We are to capture them and hold them in a remote location until the nearest Rune Knights are able to collect them and hold them for trial and execution. I will not lie to you, this will be the hardest mission any of you have ever had to experience. Some of you may die, but that is the oath we all swore when joining this Guild. We will continue your legacy, because we are Sabertooth!" He raised his arms above his head, and the hall erupted in roars and cheers. His Guild stood up and began chanting "Sabertooth" over and over, and he smiled grimly, feeling like a proud father momentarily before the feeling of dread swallowed him again. He frowned and lowered his arms, gesturing everyone to be quiet.

"Are there any questions?" He called out when silence rang through again, and a few hands raised. He nodded to a female Guild member, who stood up.

"Do we need to bring them in uninjured?" Sting shook his head. "The opposite, actually. The weaker and more disabled they are, the easier it will be to detain them. Violence is expected, and thus nobody will be penalised if one of them passes away." He jerked his chin at another member, answering question after question until a gloved hand raised. His eyes trailed down the owners arm and was surprised to see it belonged to Ryujin. He nodded at her, feeling a heavy weight in his chest as she stood. Her cold and monotonous voice rang through the hall.

"Does this group of people have a name?" Sting's expression became grave, and he nodded. He had been expecting her to ask that, because she was the most observant member of the Guild. The name was heavy on his tongue, and it cracked and seemed to bounce off of every flagstone and window in the hall.

"They are the Creepypasta."

 

-

Ryujin's eyes burned as she yawned, carrying the pack of files that she had been given down the hall to her room. She was going to have a room to herself, unlike the rest of the Guild who had to pair up in twos or threes due to shortages of rooms for them. She scoffed as she fished her rusted key out of her trouser pocket and jammed it into the lock, twisting it and shoving the door open. It emitted a loud, creaky groan when it did so and she scowled at how loud the noise was. She pulled the key out of the lock and kicked the door closed behind her. It was pitch black in her room, and she rolled her eyes at hearing someone next door bumping into something and falling over with a loud crash. She held her breath as she carried the files over to a small desk next to her bed and slammed them down, coughing and recoiling when a massive cloud of dust hit her in the face. She sneezed and coughed as she backed away, waving her hand in front of her nose to clear her breathing. She huffed in irritation and clicked her fingers, narrowing her eyes as the torches in the room simultaneously lit up with a bright flame, casting flickering shadows across the room. She glanced around quickly, taking in her surroundings. The room was tiny, about the size of a broom closet. A small, sagging bed rested in one corner of the room, beneath a grimy window. She realised why there was no light in the room. The grime was so thick that she couldn't even make out the moon outside. She coughed again and hissed when her eyes burned due to the amount of dust in the air.

"Couldn't the bastards have cleaned up just a little bit?" She scowled as she stalked over to the tiny desk crammed next to the bed, and grimaced when she saw how filthy it was. With another sigh she swept her hand to the side, creating a gust of wind that lifted the dust instantly and left it hovering in the air, almost like a dense cloud. She walked over to the window and pushed it open with a finger, wiping the dirt that came off onto the stone wall before pushing her palm out, sending the dust shooting out the window. She let the window drop closed and returned to the desk, yanking the rickety chair out and sitting down on it, reaching out to the files and picking the first one up. She turned around and placed the other files onto her bed. The room was so small and cramped that she had no problem reaching the middle of the bed from where she sat. She turned back to her desk and crossed her legs, opening the first file.

Instantly Ryujin was greeted with the grainy image of a young man. His hair was dark and his eyes were wide and crazed-looking. Wait. Her eyes snapped back to the man's. His eyes weren't wide. He didn't have any _eyelids_. His skin was very pale and looked almost leathery, but the biggest factor about the man that displayed how demented he was. A wide, eerie smile was carved into his face, exposing his gums and teeth. The smile stretched from ear to ear, and Ryujin frowned as she began to read. "Crazy fuck. Who'd do that to their face?" She muttered under her breath, eyes scanning over the laminated paper.

 

 **Name:** Jeffrey Woods (More commonly known as **Jeff the Killer** )

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Caucasian

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 22 years

 **DOB:** June 2nd 1994

 **Height:** 167 cm

 **Weight:** 122lbs

 **Appearance:** Black shaggy hair. Bleached white skin. No eyelids. Glasgow smile cut into face. Black eyes. Often seen wearing a bloodstained white hoody. Wears black jeans with blue Converse. Muscular yet slim frame.

 **Relative(s):** Mother (Deceased), Father (Deceased), Brother (Active)

 **Weapon of choice:** Kitchen Knife

 **Confirmed kills:** 157

 **Preferred killing method:** Stabbing to death

 **Speed:** 8/10

 **Strength:** 8/10

 **Intelligence:** 6/10

 **Extra Info:** Extremely unpredictable behaviour. Prefers murdering his victims by **stabbing them to death**. His trademark is slicing his victims' **face** into a large **smile**. He often uses the phrase: " **Go to sleep**." when murdering them. He is extremely **mentally unstable** , and should be approached with **extreme caution**. **Sociopath**. Shows expressions of **joy** when killing. Murdered his **family** and burned his childhood home down. Mentor is **Slenderman**. SoulMate is **unknown**.

 

Ryujin pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows at the file. This guy was seriously fucked in the head. He murdered his family and shows joy when killing? She rubbed her eyes and sighed, slapping the file closed and placing it to the side. She leaned back in her chair and grabbed a random file, dropping it down onto the desk. If all of these 'Creepypastas' were like Jeffrey Woods, then most of the Guild was in serious trouble. She opened the file and was met with a person in a hood wearing a mask with a sad face carved into it. She arched a brow and began to read.

 **Name:** Brian Thomas (More commonly known as **Hoodie** )

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Caucasian

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 23 years

 **DOB:** 2nd November 1993

 **Height:** 170cm

 **Weight:** 131 lbs

 **Appearance:** Human facial features unknown.  Wears a black mask with red eyes and red frown. Wears an orange hoodie. Wears black jeans and green Converse. Slightly small frame.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Handgun

 **Confirmed kills:** 187

 **Preferred killing method:** Shooting victims repeatedly/blood loss

 **Speed:**  7/10

 **Strength:** 8/10

 **Intelligence:** 8/10

 **Extra info:** Withdrawn personality. **Proxy of Slenderman**. Shows **anger/sadness** when killing victims.  **Selects** victims carefully.  **Strategic** Methodist. **Psychopath**. Should be approached with **extreme caution**. **SoulMate** is **Masky**.

 

The Slayer frowned as she reread the extra information box. Proxy of Slenderman? The hell was that? She wrinkled her nose and closed the file, placing it on top of Jeffrey's and picking up another file. When she opened it, she recoiled very slightly. A clown with a long, striped nose and razor sharp teeth stared at the camera. This was the first photo in which the Creepypasta was looking directly at the camera. Its hair was dark and very shaggy, and its lips were dark.

 **Name:** Laughing Jack

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Caucasian/Demon

 **Species:** Demon (Type unknown)

 **Age:** Unknown (appears to be around late 20's)

 **DOB:** Unknown. Was created from a jack-in-the-box. First appeared five years ago.

 **Height:** 188cm

 **Weight:** 176 lbs

 **Appearance:** Wears black and white clown costume. Long striped black and white nose. Pale skin. White eyes. Black lips. Claws for fingernails. Razor sharp teeth.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Poisoned candy/killing victims through dreams/shredding with claws.

 **Confirmed kills:** 165

 **Preferred killing method:** Murdering victims in their dreams. Poisons victims with candy.

 **Speed:** 6/10

 **Strength: 8** /10

 **Intelligence:** 8/10

 **Extra info:** Known for murdering **children** specifically. Can invade **dreams** of his victims and keep them there until they die. Possesses a **jack-in-the-box**. **SoulMate** **unknown**. Works under **Slenderman**. Should be approached **only** by **certified exorcists**. **Extremely dangerous**. **Psychopath**. Extremely **mentally unstable**.

"Jesus." Ryujin muttered quietly, glancing quickly at the clown before slamming the file closed. "Creepy bastard." If an exorcist was needed to capture him, then she was going to be in high demand. She placed the file on top of Hoodie's and grabbed another one. This time, when she opened it, she was greeted with a dog. Her eyebrows shot up. Seriously? The villagers were afraid of a _dog?_ She scoffed under her breath and glanced at the photo. The dog seemed to be a husky, and looked to be smiling widely.  _Looks like a perfect companion for Jeff the Killer,_ she mused, yawning slightly and reaching into her duffel bag to pull out a sack of iron pieces. Popping one in her mouth she began chewing, the metal as soft as butter in her mouth as her teeth sliced and crushed them easily.

 

 **Name:** Smile Dog

 **Gender:** Male

 **Species:** Demon (Appears to be a Husky)

 **Age:** Unknown (Appears to be fully grown)

 **DOB:** Unknown 

 **Height:** 84 cm

 **Weight:** 62 lbs

 **Appearance:** Large Siberian Husky. Often seen covered in blood. Has a black and white patterned pelt. Large smile carved into face with what appears to be sharpened human teeth rather than canine teeth.

 **Relative(s):** None

 **Weapon of choice:** Its teeth and claws

 **Confirmed kills:** 98

 **Preferred killing method:** Ripping the throats of victims with teeth.

 **Speed:** 9/10

 **Strength:** 8/10

 **Intelligence:** 6/10

 **Extra info:** Appears to have **rabies** , as is often seen with a **foaming** , bloody mouth. Often accompanies **Jeff the Killer** on killing sprees. Shows intelligence of an average **human** **child**. Shows **no pattern** characteristics in killing. Works under **Jeff the Killer** (under **Slenderman** ). Very **aggressive**. **SoulMate** is **unknown**.

 

She sighed and flipped the file closed. Were the villagers taking them for fools? It was a goddamned dog, how in the hell could it be such a threat? She rolled her eyes and slammed the file down hard and snatched up another one. When she opened this one, she was ready to get up and curse the village chief for being so adamantly disrespectful and patronising to them. A young boy dressed like Link from the Zelda games grinned at the camera, with black eyes and dark irises. What appeared to be dark tears ran down the boy's cheeks. She scowled deeply and began to read again.

 **Name:** BEN Drowned

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** American-Japanese/Demon

 **Species:** Video game character

 **Age:** 17 years

 **DOB:** 18th August 1999

 **Height:** 165cm

 **Weight:** 128 lbs

 **Appearance:** Wears a green Link costume from Zelda games. Looks identical to Link. Has red pupils with black patches surrounding. Blonde messy hair. Long, pointed ears. Razor sharp teeth. Short and skinny frame.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Electricity

 **Confirmed kills:** 281

 **Preferred killing method:** Using electronic devices as conduits and electrocuting his victims.

 **Speed:** 8/10

 **Strength:** 6/10

 **Intelligence:** 9/10

 **Extra info:** BEN **possesses electronic devices** and attacks his victims by coming through them. The most **passive** of the Creepypastas. Kills only **abusive** family members. **Extremely** dangerous. Do not carry **electronic devices** around him. Approach only with **extreme caution**. **Gentle** persona. **Youngest** of the Creepypastas. Often uses the phrase: " **You shouldn't have done that**." **Drowned** when he was a young boy. Works under **Slenderman**. **SoulMate** is **unknown**.

 

Ryujin frowned deeply as she read BEN's profile. He looked so innocent, and died young. Even though he was older than her, she felt a fleeting feeling of sympathy for the electronic killer. She quickly sucked in a breath and slammed the file closed and shoving it away from her. Either she or Orga would be best suited for this one as well, if electricity was to be involved. She picked up the next file and opened it. A large man with pupil-less eyes and a sinister smirk appeared in the photo. His hair was long and dark, and his skin seemed to be dark as well. She popped another piece of iron in her mouth and began chewing.

 **Name:** The Puppeteer

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Caucasian

 **Species:** Possession demon

 **Age:** Unknown (Appears to be 23-25)

 **DOB:** Unknown

 **Height:** 192 cm

 **Weight:** 221 lbs

 **Appearance:** Very large man. Shoulder length dark brown hair. Build with lots of muscle. Eyes glow different shades of orange/gold/yellow depending on emotion. Grey toned skin. Often wears a black long coat over a grey sweater and black jeans with black Converse. Skin on hands is pitch black.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Strings attached to his fingertips.

 **Confirmed kills:** 203

 **Preferred killing method:** Strangulation/hanging.

 **Speed:** 8/10

 **Strength:** 8/10

 **Intelligence:** 9/10

 **Extra info:** Often turns his victims into **puppets**. Can do this by **dislocating neck/dismembering limbs**. Very **aggressive** when **provoked**. Very **calm** when killing. Often targets those he thinks **society will not miss**. He feeds on **loneliness, depression and sorrow**. Extremely **dangerous**. Do not approach this demon unless you are completely **devoid** of **negative feelings**. Must have an **iron will** to face The Puppeteer. Very **protective** of his **'creations'** and can **manipulate their movements/actions**. Works under **Slenderman**. **SoulMate** is **unknown**.

 

Ryujin chewed on her iron slowly, processing the information she had just read. Looking back to his photo, she could not deny that The Puppeteer was handsome. However, there was a maliciousness within his eyes and she knew he would be a formidable opponent. She moved his file aside and picked up the next one. Opening it, she was met with the sight of a person with black hair and a white mask with large black eyes and a bloody-looking smile. She frowned for a moment, and once again longed to be able to see colour, just to be able to see what blood really looked like. Her fingers absent-mindedly stroked her SoulName on her thigh, and sighed very quietly. She began to read again, trying to concentrate over the sound of wind howling outside. She scowled. A storm was rapidly approaching.

 **Name:** Helen Otis (Also known as **The Bloody Painter** )

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Caucasian

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 19 years

 **DOB:** 14th February 1998

 **Height:** 175 cm

 **Weight:** 166 lbs

 **Appearance:** Facial features unknown. Wears a white mask with two large black eyes and a bloody red smile. Black hair. Wears a blue button up with a yellow smiley badge over black jeans. Wears red Converse. Wears black gloves. Often carries a green notebook.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Paintbrush Knife

 **Confirmed kills:** 213

 **Preferred killing method:** Slashing of throat

 **Speed:** 7/10

 **Strength:** 6/10

 **Intelligence:** 9/10

 **Extra info: Rude** , **aggressive** and **antis** **ocial** personality. Often uses the phrase: **"Don't be excited about tomorrow, because there will be no tomorrow."** Uses the **blood** of his victims to paint his **'art'**. **Moderately** dangerous. Works under **Slenderman**. Often targets **bullies**. Very **calm** when killing. **SoulMate** is **unknown**.

 

Ryujin frowned as she read. The hell was a paintbrush knife? Did this guy think that he was some kind of unholy, glorified artist? She slammed the file closed and placed it on top of the other ones, none too gently. She reached blindly behind her and fumbled around until her cold fingers grasped the now familiar cardboard of the protective sheets of the files. When she opened it, she was surprised to see a girl in the photo. Her eyes and hair were pitch black, and her skin was as pale as Jeff the Killer's. She had gaunt cheekbones and her lips were as black as her eyes. Ryujin shoved a few pieces of iron in her mouth and began chewing again, squinting under the rapidly dying torchlight. She scowled up at the torches. She was trying to reserve her magic power as much as possible for the next upcoming days. By her standards she felt extremely weak, but in reality she could still shatter an entire mountain with a single flick of her finger. She huffed and continued to read.

 **Name:** Jane Arkensasw (Also known as **Jane the Killer** )

 **Gender:** Female

 **Ethnicity:** American

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 21 years

 **DOB:** 7th January 1995

 **Height:** 167 cm

 **Weight:** 156 lbs

 **Appearance:** Facial features unknown. Long black hair. Wears a white mask with black eyes and lips. Wears a black cocktail dress with knee-length boots and garter stockings.

 **Relative(s):** Mother(Deceased), Father(Deceased)

 **Weapon of choice:** Two kitchen knives

 **Confirmed kills:** 160

 **Preferred killing method:** Stabbing to death

 **Speed:** 9/10

 **Strength:** 8/10

 **Intelligence:** 8/10

 **Extra info:** Very similar to **Jeff the Killer** in terms of **attitude** and method of **killing**. Often **laughs** hysterically when killing. **Extremely mentally unstable**. **Bipolar**. Works under **Slenderman**. **SoulMate** is **unknown**. Very **fast** and **athletic**. Targets victims at **random**.

 

She yawned and popped another piece of iron in her mouth, closing the file and placing it aside. She shook her head. Garters? All that does is show off more skin and provides no protection from injury whatsoever. She rolled her eyes and picked up the next file. Did she think that she was going to seduce her victims or some shit like that? She opened the file, and paused. A faceless man was in the photo, with white skin. Aeron blinked and rubbed her eyes. She wasn't going crazy. He really didn't have a face.

"The fuck?" she mumbled, leaning forward to squint at the photo. She scowled as the torchlight flickered dangerously low and snapped her fingers. Instantly, a gust of wind extinguished them and plunged her into darkness. She sighed and clicked her fingers again. The torches lit up instantly, glowing brightly. She didn't even need to blink to adjust to the light and began reading.

 **Name:** Slenderman

 **Gender:** Male(?)

 **Ethnicity:** Unknown

 **Species:** Demon(?)

 **Age:** Unknown

 **DOB:** Unknown

 **Height:** 305 cm

 **Weight:** Unknown

 **Appearance:** Extremely tall. No facial features. White skin. Wears a black suit and tie with black dress shoes. Has long tentacles protruding from back. Extremely long arms.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Tentacles/Proxies

 **Confirmed kills:** 598

 **Preferred killing method:** Piercing victims through heart, strangulation, eating its victims.

 **Speed:** 10/10

 **Strength:** 10/10

 **Intelligence:** 10/10

 **Extra info:** **Most dangerous** of the Creepypasta/ **Leader** of the Creepypasta. Can **teleport**. Can **control minds** / **erase memories/tamper with memories**. **Do not approach at any cost.** If you come face to face with this beast, **hide** and pray it does not find you. **Proxies** work under him. Will **eat** victims with a mouth that has **sharp teeth** which appears when consuming a meal. Thought to be **more powerful** than the **Wizard Saints**. **Static** is heard when he is close.

 

Ryujin's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. A fierce growl rumbled loudly in her chest as she glared at the file. Stronger than the Wizard Saints? "Bullshit." She hissed aloud, clenching her fists which rested on the desk on either side of the file. She glared at the faceless man. "We'll see about that, you goddamned demon." She snarled, vaguely noticing that the air around her was rapidly becoming very cold. She took in a deep breath and attempted to calm hereself. She despised being challenged, she had been taught that her power was absolute. With just one breath attack, she could completely decimate an entire nation, and could crush a dragon with both hands tied behind her back. The First Wizard Saint huffed and slammed the file closed, slapping it onto the growing pile as hard as she dared without breaking the desk. It resonated with a loud smacking sound, making her frown. She reached back and picked up the next file, sighing when she heard the ominous growl of thunder in the distance. "What a pain in the ass." She mumbled, pulling the next file open. A girl stared up at the camera. Ryujin paused with a piece of iron halfway to her lips. Slowly, her hand came down and she began to read.

 **Name:** Natalie Ouelette (Also known as **Clockwork** )

 **Gender:** Female

 **Ethnicity:** American

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 24

 **DOB:** 16th December 1992

 **Height:** 166 cm

 **Weight:** 127 lbs

 **Appearance:** Pale skin. One glowing green eye. One eye with a pocket watch in the socket. Long brown hair. Pale skin. Stitches around mouth in a smile. Often wears a blue hoody over a white vest top and black jeans. Wears black half-knee boots.

 **Relative(s):** Mother(Deceased), Father(Deceased), Brother(Deceased)

 **Weapon of choice:** Serrated utility knife

 **Confirmed kills:** 47

 **Preferred killing method:** Disembowelment

 **Speed:** 6/10

 **Strength:** 5/10

 **Intelligence:** 7/10

 **Extra info:** Works under **Slenderman**. **Extremely mentally unstable**. Often uses the phrase: " **Your time is up** ". Has expressed **romantical** interest in one of the **Proxies**. Very **irritating** personality. Often targets **physhiatric doctors** and **abusive families**. Can be very **childish**. **Mildly** dangerous. Murdered her **family**.  **SoulMate** is **unknown**.

 

Ryujin arched a brow. What the shit was the deal with the clock in her eye? She understood that she had a few wires loose but to do that to herself? She closed the file and almost flinched when thunder boomed overhead. Rain began pounding against the grimy window and she glanced over to it to check if it would hold against the weather. It looked stable enough for now, but it was likely to give in sooner or later. She decided to keep an eye on it throughout the night and closed Clockwork's file, setting it on the pile. She yawned again and picked up the next file, reaching to grab another piece of iron but finding that the bag was empty. She scowled and began opening the next file, huffing when thunder rolled again. She was met with a boy with a mask and seemingly dark tears running from its dark eyes. She hummed and began to read.

 **Name:** Eyeless Jack

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Unknown

 **Species:** Demon/Cult experiment

 **Age:** Unknown (Appears to be in early twenties)

 **DOB:** Unknown

 **Height:** 172 cm

 **Weight:** 167 lbs

 **Appearance:** Facial features unknown. Brown/coppery hair. Wears a blue mask with black gaping holes with black tears running down from them. Wears black hoodie with hood pulled up. Wears black jeans and black hiking boots. Grey skin. Razor sharp teeth.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Switchblade and/or his sharp teeth.

 **Confirmed kills:** 180

 **Preferred killing method:** Disembowelment/Snapping of neck/Stabbing

 **Speed:** 9/10

 **Strength:** 9/10

 **Intelligence:** 8/10

 **Extra info: Cannibal**. Always eats the **kidneys** of his victims. Works under **Slenderman**. **Extremely** dangerous. **SoulMate unknown**. **No specific** target range. Often **stalks** victims before killing them. Do **not approach unless an S-Class Mage**.

 

She chewed on her lip. A cannibal? Yukino would piss herself if she met this guy. Frankly, she would be too scared to do anything when the Hunt began next month. She refuses to wear armour, and her reaction time is far too slow to be able to survive out there. Ryujn rolled her eyes and closed the file, rubbing at her eyes and yawning again before picking up the next one. The rain was beginning to pound even harder against the window and Aeron shivered slightly as a gust of wind slipped through the window crack. When the file was opened she was pleasantly surprised. The man actually looked handsome, for a killer. She began reading.

 **Name:** Liu Woods (Also known as **Homicidal Liu** )

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** American

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 24 years

 **DOB:** 3rd October 1992

 **Height:** 185 cm

 **Weight:** 152 lbs

 **Appearance:** Has a smile similar to Jeff the Killer's stitched up on his face. Has a scar running across his nose and neck. Green eyes. Brown hair. Pale skin. Wears a grey striped scarf around his neck. Wears a black blazer over a grey shirt. Wears brown jeans and blue Converse.

 **Relative(s):** Mother(Deceased), Father(Deceased), Brother(Active- see **Jeffrey Woods** file).

 **Weapon of choice:** Crowbar/Serrated kitchen knife

 **Confirmed kills:** 138

 **Preferred killing method:** Repeated bludgeoning/slashing of the throat.

 **Speed:** 8.5/10

 **Strength:** 9/10

 **Intelligence:** 9/10

 **Extra info:** **Brother** to **Jeff the Killer**. Has **Bipolar** Disorder. Has an **alternate personality** named **Sully**. Aims to kill Jeff. Targets those who **abuse** their **siblings/parents**. **SoulMate unknown**. Works under **Slenderman**. **Extremely** dangerous. **Rude** and **nondescript** personality when killing.

 

Ryujin blinked as she read the file again, then once more. She chewed on her lip as she looked into the colourless eyes of Liu. He was Jeff's older brother? _**'Guess homicide runs in the family',**_ she mused as she closed his file and rubbed her eyes, moving to pick up the next file. The pile was getting thinner, she noticed, and was glad. She was beyond exhausted and was eager to sleep in the bed, despite how filthy it was. She opened the next file and raised a brow. What was it with these people and masks? She began to read.

 **Name:** Timothy Wright (Also known as **Masky** )

 **Gender:** Male

 **Ethnicity:** Unknown

 **Species:** Homosapien

 **Age:** 26 years

 **DOB:** 29th June 1990

 **Height:** 168 cm

 **Weight:** 163 lbs

 **Appearance:** Facial features unknown. Wears a white mask with large black eyes and small eyebrows and black lips. Wears a yellow work shirt with bloody stains. Wears blue jeans with a tan leather belt. Wears black work boots. Wears black gloves.

 **Relative(s):** Unknown

 **Weapon of choice:** Crowbar

 **Confirmed kills:** 209

 **Preferred killing method:** Beating victims to death/Smashing victim's head.

 **Speed:** 9/10

 **Strength:** 9/10

 **Intelligence:** 9/10

 **Extra info:** **Proxy** of **Slenderman**. **Extremely** dangerous. Extremely **calm** when killing. Shows **no remorse** when killing. Kills **quickly**. **SoulMate to Hoodie**. Kills whomever **Slender** commands him to.

 

Ryujin reread the information. Again with the "Proxy" term. If she was correct, a proxy was having the authority to represent someone else. If that was the case, then did that mean Masky and Hoodie were representing Slenderman? Does that mean that they basically act as henchmen for him? She sighed and closed the file, reaching for the last one. She yawned, and lightning cracked outside. She glanced to the window as her room was illuminated even through the grime, and she froze when she saw a silhouette standing outside of her window. Instantly she was out of her chair and shoving the window open, her hand lighting up in sparks as she called the storm to her aid. She paused when she saw nobody was there. What the hell just happened? Movement caught her eye and she saw a tall figure running swiftly back into the forest. He didn't look like any of the Creepypasta in the files, so who was he? She sighed and decided to leave him be, not in the mood to be outside in a storm. If he came back, she would detain him. She let the window slam and pulled out her chair to sit down again. The torches had been extinguished when the window was opened, so she couldn't read the final file. However, lightning struck again and her room was lit up. She froze completely, her hand gripping the chair so tightly it had shattered in her fist, as she stared down at the file with wide eyes.

 **Name:** Tobias Rogers (Also known as **Ticci Toby** ).

 

 

 

 

 


	4. The Summoner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabertooth is gaining a lot of unwanted attention from a certain group of people.

Swift footsteps raced across the grounds of the village castle, black boots pressing into the soggy mush of the grass, an aftermath of last night's storm. The morning chill nipped at her exposed flesh and spread goosebumps over her pale skin, but Ryujin knew that soon she would be grateful for the cold. Her breathing was even and steady, something that should be fixed right away. She huffed and one of the names carved into her right arm lit up, shining brightly. She slowed to a stop and raised her arm, seeing Jackal's name shining brightly in Japanese lettering.  She rolled her eyes and raised her hand to her mouth, her sharp fangs biting into her flesh and drawing blood. She held her arm over the glowing characters and allowed the dark liquid to drip onto them, not even blinking when a large figure appeared in front of her with a loud hiss. The smell of burning gunpowder filled her nostrils and she raised a brow at one of her strongest, albeit most difficult to manage, spirits.

Jackal's ears were perked on top of his head, poking out from his messy light hair. He grinned wickedly down at her with teeth so sharp that they could tear a limb completely off with no effort. Ryujin knew this all too well and yet didn't feel an ounce of fear as Jackal raised his clawed hand to brush the hair out of her face, his deadly nails scraping against the flesh of her cheek and drawing more blood. She didn't react, only moving to raise her hand to her mouth again and begin sucking on the blood still spilling from the bite.

"Y'know, you should really wear a headband when running." He cackled, dropping his hand back down. She gave him an unamused look and turned around, fully intending to return to her run. "Is there a specific reason you asked to be summoned, Jackal? You normally hate coming here." She threw him an indifferent glance over her shoulder at him, watching as his smug face twisted into a scowl. She rolled her eyes and began jogging again. He was so annoying.

He kept pace with her, and she briefly wondered why in the hell the only thing he was wearing was a pair of khaki shorts, but she decided against asking. The Demons of Tartaros were unpredictable at best, and very confusing, and no matter how long she poured over their books, she could not quite seem to figure them out. His large, chicken-like feet made loud thuds as he ran next to her, a clear contrast to the light taps of her own feet.

"I take it you're here because you wish to train?" She questioned aloud, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as he perked up drastically, halting and grinning at her again. His tail wagged furiously behind him and she pursed her lips to refrain from mocking him. She returned his arrogant grin with a dangerous look and sighed. She unzipped her dark jacket and shrugged it off, not caring about her lack of shirt. Jackal's eyes briefly flicked over her muscled torso, lingering only on the mark on her left rib before averting his gaze. She knew seeing his claw marks on her skin didn't bother him, but for some reason today he seemed somewhat... embarrassed? She chose to ignore him and bent down to retie her laces before hanging her jacket over a branch and shifting on the balls of her feet. They were in the middle of the forest now, and she could already feel the discomfort she had experienced when she was here with Rogue creeping in. Jackal seemed to pick up on this as he began moving around, coming closer to his master cautiously. She shot him a glare and held her hand out, commanding him to return to where he was. He held up his clawed hands in defence and moved back as told, the dark patterns on his hands beginning to light up. She shifted into a comfortable stance, moving her weight between her feet as she prepared for his attack, her eyes narrowing in concentration. The familiar ringing in the air started up and her eyes narrowed further before lunging to her left, feeling the warmth of his explosion brush her skin just barely. The ground was uneven and slippery, and there was not much room to move as there was a tree every few feet around her. She used a trunk closest to her to her advantage and leapt up it, using its body to launch herself into the air, sailing straight at the ground and ducking down low as Jackal threw another explosion at her. Her chin almost scraped the ground as she propelled herself forward, ducking under the attack.

"Are you seriously fucking holding back?" She taunted, leaping to her full height and swinging her fist at his face. He dodged it and leaned back, falling back onto his hands and using them to propel himself up, his bare foot coming up to swipe at her face. He caught her hair and she jerked back, the strands slicing off cleanly. She let out a choked grunt of surprise and began to lose her footing on the uneven ground. Jackal's next explosion came at her face and she let out a surprised huff before falling onto her back, not wasting a second as she used her hands to shove herself up into the air and onto the closest tree, using her magic to keep herself suspended there for a second longer before launching at the next tree, twisting in the air to avoid his barrage of attacks. She realised just in time that Jackal was going to target the branch her foot was about to land on, and her eyes widened before she kicked the rapidly lighting branch away, sending it sailing towards the demon. He batted it out of the way and she used this to her advantage, launching herself right behind it and landing a solid blow to his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground with a surprised groan. He slammed into a tree and sent it crashing down on him, splinters flying into the air as it gave an almighty groan before collapsing. She landed on her feet squarely, body poised for attack or to defend as she waited for his next move.

A warmth began in her right hand, and she glanced briefly down to her fist before realising what he had done.

"Jackal!" She roared before her hand erupted into an explosion, the pain ripping through her as she staggered back. She let out a tiny groan as the agony coursed through her and she cursed him for putting her at a temporary disadvantage. Her right hand was her strongest one to attack, and he knew it. She heard his triumphant cackles from beneath the tree and she scowled at him, shaking her useless hand out to try and alleviate some of the pain. A quick glance to it told her that she was dealing with some severed nerves, snapped tendons and broken fingers. She growled and placed her left hand over her injured one, her fingers glowing brightly as she attempted to heal herself quickly before Jackal was back up. All too soon she could hear his growls erupt from beneath the bark and she lunged back, slipping again and falling back. Instantly Jackal was behind her, his hand curling into a fist, prepared to deal a blow to her spine. She whirled around and her left hand shot out, blocking his blow and teasing an annoyed grunt from his mouth. She gave him a dangerously wicked grin, baring her fangs at him from behind their interlocked fists. Jackal huffed and tried to use his other hand to hit her, and she blocked this with her wrist. Pain wracked through her as his scorching skin collided with a tendon and by the way his eyes flinched she could tell that she had gone pale. She used his distraction to her benefit and slammed her knee into his stomach. Blood spouted from his mouth at the impact and he let out a choked grunt before releasing her hands and falling back once again. She stood above him and began healing her hand and knee simultaneously, sending her magic power through the injured areas to quicken their repair. She knew that if she didn't touch his bare skin with her own, she would be fine. Her bare knee had skinned his torso but she had taken care to send a light layer of magic power over it so that she did not directly touch him. He snarled at her when she gave him an arrogant grin and scrambled back to her feet. She gathered magic power around her fists and prepared for their grand finale. As he stalked towards her, he raised his hands and curled them into fists. "Fists." He barked, and she smirked. "Sounds like your last Friday night."

With that he bellowed a growl and lunged for her, his fist aiming for her face. She blocked this with her palm and slammed her fist into his stomach again, sending him flying back. She heard a sickening crunch and instantly he was back at her, raining blow after blow upon her. She deftly blocked and returned his blows, not even wincing when his claws raked down her back. The warmth of her blood always drove him crazy, and she knew that with his frenzied attacks he would only become quicker until one of them was down for the count. He raised his leg to aim a kick and she blocked it with her kneecap, ignoring the blinding pain that rushed through her when she did. She could taste blood in the corner of her mouth and knew she was going to hurt like hell later. She huffed and choked on her own blood when Jackal landed a blow on her windpipe, knocking the breath out of her. She stumbled back and clutched her throat, gasping for air as he stalked towards her. She glared at him through the stars in her eyes and felt her anger rise. He stopped when he saw her eyes begin to glow and took the tiniest step back from her. This was all she needed, and she lunged forward, her shoulder colliding into his midsection and sending them both flying into the dirt. She felt something crack and didn't hesitate before straddling him, grabbing his scarf and raising her now glowing fist, ready to deal the killing blow. He wriggled violently in her grip and only cried out when her hand was crashing down.

"Alright!" He yelped, his voice strained and full of desperation. "Alright, you win!" Ryujin's hand stopped mere millimetres away from his face and he flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. When she didn't move, he slowly opened them to see her staring down at him blankly, her eyes dull, a clear contrast to how brightly they were shining mere moments ago. He frowned at this and slowly sat up, wincing when his ribs cracked sharply. He knew without even looking that dark colour was spreading over the skin of his broken ribs. His master fell back into his lap and he crossed his legs slowly, shifting so that his tail was no longer trapped beneath them. She didn't move, but flinched slightly when their bare hips pressed against each other, his skin scorching hot against her bare stomach. She sighed and allowed herself to lean forward onto his chest for a single second before standing up and extending a hand to the demon. He blinked at her for a fleeting second before his usual scowl was back in place and he stood on his own, slapping her hand away. She rolled her eyes at him and missed the way he looked at her when she turned to grab her jacket again. His gaze softened as he looked her over.

She annoyed the shit out of him, and he'll be damned if he was ever going to praise her, a lowly fucking half-demon, but she was indeed the most impressive master he had ever served under, and she seemed to understand him. She didn't let him kill anyone unless necessary, which he did admit really fucking annoyed him but he would rather fight with her than being stuck as ink and paper. His expression hardened when she turned around and gave him a subtle nod of her head. His cue to go. He nodded and closed his eyes, relaxing and giving in to the pull that constantly tugged at his insides, always anchoring him to her. He let out a breath as his pain began to dissolve, as did he.

Ryujin's arm was no longer shining and she flexed her still broken hand gingerly. She didn't wince as the pain shot through her and began her run again. Her kneecap was still throbbing but it was tolerable. She never reacted to pain. Every bone in her body could be completely shattered and she would simply ask for a painkiller. The pain kept her going most of the time. She smelled blood and glanced at her back to see four open gashes running across her shoulderblades and halfway down her back. The flesh was jagged and still oozing blood, and even though the stench was nothing she was unused to, she still disliked it. It was too strong for her sensitive nose. She groaned out loud and began jogging back to the castle. The building was old and looked like it was about to fall apart, hidden several miles away from the village. It was isolated to the extreme as there was no means of communication or transport. The forest surrounding the village was massive, and even spread out to the castle. She yawned and glanced up when everything seemed to become brighter. It was dawn already? She huffed and increased her speed, wanting to get back inside and treated before the rest of the Guild woke up and saw her. She rapidly approached a large boulder, roughly ten feet high and smirked. She placed her hand on it when she reached it and vaulted over it effortlessly. She landed noiselessly on the other side and didn't break her pace, moving faster and faster until she was all but a blur flashing through the jagged and twisted trees. She approached the drawbridges of the castle and leaped over the murky liquid surrounding the building, grasping the wooden bridge and climbing over it easily. She hesitated to drop down, her pale hand gripping the cracked and uneven cobblestone as she peered behind her. The sixteen year old turned around and rose from her crouch, her gaze slowly moving over the treelines. The morning sun was barely rising now and she could barely see a thing, even with her heightened senses. She chewed on her lip and sighed, sitting down and crossing her legs on top of the battlement. She folded her arms across her chest and glared out at the trees. There had been more and more reports of figures being seen here in the past two days, and with every sighting they came closer and closer to the castle. Ryujin sighed and yawned, wincing slightly when she felt her back twinge. She looked behind her to see her blood slowly dripping down onto the walkway behind her and she sighed. This would attract more wildlife than there already was in the castle. She shrugged off her bloodstained jacket and unzipped one of the pockets. She was beyond exhausted but this needed to be cleaned. She carefully pulled two small square pieces of paper from the pocket and turned her back to the trees. She raised her hand to her mouth and sank her teeth into her thumb for the second time this morning. Swiping the blood across the papers she began to chant.

**_"I summon thee from the darkest pits of Hell, to carry out my will as your own. Hear me: Yaerin, Plyas, and show yourselves at once! Pass through the Gates of Gehenna and serve thy Master immediately!"_ **

The papers ignited in brilliantly bright flames and Ryujin tossed them into the air. She watched as smoke engulfed them and with an almighty roar the Summoning was complete. Two large white Sabertooth tigers stood in front of her, split tails thrashing and three heads moving around, taking in their surroundings. Flames licked at the bottom of their paws and the Dragon Slayer regarded the Twin Tigers sternly. Yaerin sensed his Master's intentions and bowed his three heads submissively, a deep growl rumbling in his chest. His sister copied his movements and Ryujin yawned before humming her approval for them to stand. The demons rose from their bow and watched her with flaming eyes. Yaerin stood several feet taller than his mistress at his full height, and even in her elevated state she still had to crane her neck up to look at the demon. She had been correct in worrying about the two being able to fit in the walkway. One of Yaerin's paws took up two cobblestones and his back legs were twisted and cramped uncomfortably. Plyas, though smaller than her sibling, was also in a similar predicament. She was busy in licking the floor clean of Ryujin's blood and by the contented purrs of the tiger she knew that she was enjoying herself. Yaerin remained still however, his eyes trained on something behind the Dragon Slayer. She uncrossed her legs and let them hang down in front of her, twisting around to see what he was so engrossed in. She could not see anything and she turned around to scowl at the tiger. A low rumble in his chest was his reply and she narrowed her eyes before he dropped to the ground at her feet. Plyas had finished cleaning the blood and laid down to sprawl across the wet stones. Her whole length took up twenty three cobblestones, Ryujin noted. She really was tiny. Yaerin looked up to her, his black nose twitching. He stared at her and she returned his gaze coldly.

"You are injured."  His deep voice growled, his mouths unmoving. His voice instead seemed to come from all around her and she tilted her head at the creature.

"I'm fucking aware." She replied shortly, her tone dripping with sarcasm. He raised his head from his paws and Ryujin could feel his warm breath fanning over her thighs. His heads were now at her shoulders. Plyas' attention was captured by the sound of her brother's voice and her eyes were quickly upon them. She yawned, a whine escaping her maw as she licked her teeth absently before speaking.

"If you are injured, why summon us? We are the Daemons of Chaos and Ruin. We do not heal, We hurt." Plyas' silky voice called out, and Ryujin felt a shiver creep down her spine. She glanced behind her once more before turning back to them.

"I know."

"So why not summon Ylves or Ohmyas, My Young Lady?" Yaerin enquired with a tilt of his head. Ryujin's jaw clenched. She hated being called young, even thoug she was the youngest member in Sabertooth. At nearly seventeen years of age she was coddled and sheltered from public, her entire Guild knowing that if anyone knew about her bloodline she would be ridiculed and scorned. Her fingers brushed absently over Toby's name and she was jolted back into reality when Yaerin's nose prodded her thigh very gently, his skin scorching her instantly. She didn't dare flinch. The Twins would turn on her as soon as she showed any signs of weakness. They didn't hate her, it was simply in their nature to destroy the weak.

"Because I only had two papers with me, and they would want something in return for healing me. You two are the only demons who are willing to supply me with more papers. Plyas." The tigress' eyes slid to her Master's. "Go and bring more to me." She didn't have to specify how many. Plyas nodded and vanished with a flash of flames and Ryujin was left alone with Yaerin. Their eyes held each other before the Slayer spoke. Her voice was so quiet that she could barely hear herself, but when all six of his ears twitched she knew he had heard her.

"Am I being watched?" His eyes snapped to hers. He didn't hesitate to answer.

"You are always being watched, My Lady."

She scowled at the tiger. "I am in no fucking mood to play, Yaerin." She hissed through gritted teeth. The demon recoiled slightly and she was pleased. He averted his gaze momentarily before returning to her. Her stare never wavered from his middle head, as that was the one which was the most sensible. The left head always spoke lies, and the right head spoke in nothing but riddles. She could always differ his voices apart. The left head's pitch was always high. The middle head was the deepest, almost sounding as if it was chocolate running over gravel. His right head was obvious. She sighed and repeated her question, albeit more sternly. The tiger huffed and flicked his tail.

"At the present moment, two beings, aside from myself, are watching you." She sucked in a breath slightly, but otherwise didn't react. She bowed her head and gripped the cobblestone with both of her hands. She took a moment to calm her anger before raising her head to the demon again. His whole body had tensed upon sensing his Master's displeasure. His tails whipped violently behind him, lashing on the ground as he rose to his haunches, ready to spring into action as soon as his Master gave the word. Every fibre of his being was poised to attack, tensed beyond imagination. She looked coldly at the Demon of Ruin.

 **"Bring them to me."** Yaerin's body surged forward as soon as the words fell from Ryujin's mouth and he sailed past her, the wind whipping her hair as he landed on the ground. He broke into a sprint towards the trees, the ground shaking beneath his flaming paws. With every step he took the grass withered and died, and she smirked very slightly. The two watching them didn't have a chance.

-

"Fuck!" The words exploded from his mouth as the creature rose and leaped off the wall of the castle, and he gripped the hood of his companion to yank him up. They both broke out into a sprint as the thing behind them landed on the ground, its blue-covered paws shaking the earth violently. They both stumbled as it landed and one of them raised a device to his mouth and began whispering violently into it.

"Boss, we got a fucking problem. The bitch just summoned a demon, and he's hot on our tails. Get us outta here already!" He snapped, feeling a tight grip on his hand he looked down to see his SoulMate gripping it tightly as they fled, not wanting to lose each other to the intruders. A loud crackle of static resounded from the box and the demon behind them roared angrily as a black tendril wrapped around its hind leg, yanking it backwards and sending it flying into a tree which shattered upon impact. Masky's breath was laboured and uneven as he gripped Hoodie's hand tightly before releasing it as the tall figure turned towards them. The faceless man began to speak to his Proxies.

"How pathe-" He was cut off as the tiger descended upon him, sinking his teeth into the side of the suited man's neck with a furious bellowing roar. He stumbled and was knocked off his feet as the demon's three mouths clamped down onto him, shaking their heads and raking their claws into his back vehemently as Masky and Hoodie watched. Angrily their leader slammed a hand into the demon's ribcage, flinging it from him. Their jaws tore his flesh with a loud tearing squelch and a strangled yelp forced its way from their mouths as it crumpled around a tree with tremendous force. It snarled up at the impossibly tall man as he loomed over it, tendrils raising behind him and flying down towards it to pierce its chest.

**"Plyas!"**

A roar bellowed from behind Masky and Hoodie and they ducked down as another tiger leaped over them, slamming its body into Slenderman and knocking him away from the injured tiger. A bright blue flame stood in front of the tiger and the Proxies quickly realised that it was a sword. Black flames licked up its entire blade and its wielder's eyes were wide with fury and hatred. A black tentacle laid at her feet and they realised that the dark substance staining her bruised and bleeding face was their leader's blood. She had severed it from his body before it could reach the demon. She stood ready to attack or defend, and her eyes slid over to the charging Proxies. Her eyes narrowed dangerously and with a simple swipe of her sword they were knocked backwards. The sword sliced so powerfully into the air that it created an impossibly strong gust of wind, sending them flying several feet back. When Masky hit the hard ground the breath was knocked from his lungs and he wheezed as he coughed, gasping for breath as he rolled over onto his hands and knees. He looked over with watering eyes to see Hoodie lying prone on his side, facing away from him. Panic rose in his throat and he reached a hand out to his SoulMate. An iron grip closed around his ankle and he was dragged backwards kicking and yelling. He suddenly stopped struggling and took a deep breath.

_Focus, Masky! You're a Proxy for Christ's sake!_

He grunted and managed to roll over onto his back, glaring up at the girl from behind his mask. She didn't seem to be any older than her late teens, yet she was able to overpower him. Talk about fucking pathetic.

Masky yelled as the girl raised her sword over her head and brought the handle down towards his head. He raised his other leg to swipe her feet out from beneath her but a sudden flash between the two caused her to flinch and cover her eyes with the back of one hand, recoiling slightly from its sheer intensity. Masky scrambled back and swiped his leg out, kicking her hard on a gash in her thigh and feeling her warm blood soak through his shoe.

" _Masky!"_ Slenderman's voice rang in his ears and he reached an arm out, feeling the familiar pressure of something that was almost there around his arm and dragging him back. Just as his leader's hand grasped his shoulder he glanced back at the girl to see the damage he had done. Instead of looking at the blood on her thigh however, he focused on a name, wrapped around the front of her thigh, just above where it would be appropriate to place a hand if desiring sexual activity. The brown letters were scrawled messily in a handwriting he recognised all too well. As Slenderman began to teleport his Proxies away, he locked eyes with Toby's SoulMate, and snarled behind his mask.

Then, they were gone.

-

Ryujin panted as she dropped her katana and turned to Yaerin's still form. She looked over to see Plyas limping back to them and sighed. She ran a hand through the tigress' bloodstained fur and dropped to her knees next to the other feline. She winced as she looked over his injuries, seeing a few bones protruding where they should not be. She patted his massive head gently and stood slowly, every muscle in her body protesting at the simple movement. Plyas' presence was somewhat comforting as her Mistress tore up Yaerin's papers and stowed them in her back pocket. She placed a hand on the demon's left head and held it there for a moment, ignoring the burn that came with touching a demon's skin. Ryujin leaned on her for support and Plyas' chest rumbled with a purr as her Master's hand moved to absently scratch under her left chin. As she looked around, she surprised herself by speaking.

"Are you alright?" Plyas was startled by the question, and raised one of her heads to peer curiously at her Mistress. Her face was drawn and exhausted, and the bruises on her face were beginning to swell. The Mage was dangerously close to passing out from blood loss and Plyas felt the need to attack curling up in her throat. She knew Mistress needed to tear up her papers soon but she also had to ensure that she returned safely to the castle. It was within her duty to protect her Mistress with her life, but the urge to destroy all weaknesses was beginning to completely overwhelm her. She nodded curtly and Ryujin blew a sigh of relief. Her breath misted in front of her in the cold morning air. The sun had completely risen by now and the tigress knew that the Guild the Mistress belonged to would soon be searching for her Mistress when they found her gone. With a growl Plyas began pushing Ryujin towards the castle. She stifled another growl when she stopped.

The injured girl leaned down slowly and grasped the tentacle she had severed from Slenderman's body. She studied it for a moment, taking in how it was so heavy yet it felt like it was not even there in her hand. She clutched Plyas' fur and pulled herself up onto the tigress' back, settling down and leaning tiredly into the demon's scorching fur. The tigress took this as a command to move and did so, bolting from the forest and scaling the castle wall easily. Her massive claws dug into the wall and she felt Ryujin's fingers tighten in her silky fur. She reached the top of the battlement and landed heavily on her paws, slinking down low so that her Mistress could climb off easily. She heard ripping paper and her tails flicked. She was going back to her brother.

 

-

 

Ryujin slumped against the cold stone of the wall and slid down until she was sprawled on the ground. She closed her eyes and her head fell back to rest against the battlement. She sighed tiredly and allowed her aching body to rest for a few moments before gripping the wall and pulling herself up to stand. Her vision swam and she huffed as she swayed dangerously. She leaned her shoulder up against the wall and covered the side of her face with a shaking hand, breathing raggedly as she attempted to try and gather the strength to descend the steps into the castle. She stood up fully once again and took a shaky step towards the stairs. Her leg gave out from beneath her and she cursed as she hit the hard ground. She grunted and pushed herself up slowly, using her sword as a support to stand. The metal of the blade clanged as it dug into the stone and it seemed to echo throughout the castle. She panted with the effort as she stood painfully and remained still for a moment before pulling the blade out and walking with it down the stairs. She breathed in deeply and felt the air rush into her lungs. The Etherion rushed through her system with the breath and she sent out a silent thanks to Grandine for teaching her when she briefly stayed with her as a child. Ryujin's feet were aching and her shorts were ripped to shreds, her hair sticking to her damp bloodstained skin. The blood ran down her chest and back in small streams, mixing with her sweat. She gritted her teeth as she shoved against the doors to the castle, stepping inside and allowing them to swing shut behind her. She leaned against them and felt the sharp sting of the gashes in her back, reminding her that she needed to heal herself. She contemplated using the Shadows to move to her room, but decided against it. Rogue's power had always felt wrong in her body, but she had always put it down as the darkness in his power blending with her father's in her blood. She never used her brother's power unless it was a last resort, as when she used it, it was a constant struggle to keep her sanity as the demon within his Shadows and her blood fought to take control of her body. She would never be able to forget the horrified looks on Sting's face when he had found her standing above Rogue's beaten and crumpled body, and the feeling of complete and utter terror that raced through her when the Shadows left her and she realised what she had done. She was a monster, something that never should have been born and something that did not deserve to exist. She was a creature of the worst horrors and knew that she was a danger to everyone around her. 

Ryujin's tired eyes opened when she heard footsteps and she moved her head to groggily stare at the small figure hopping down the stairs. Frosch froze when he caught sight of his friend and blinked at her for a moment before gasping and darting over to her, landing in front of her. His eyes were wide with tears and full of worry as Ryujin gazed silently at him. After a tense silence the Exceed spoke, his voice trembling as his lip quivered.

"Ryujin? Wh-what happened? You okay?" His gentle voice was like a wake-up call and the half-demon blinked, rubbing at her stinging eyes with a broken hand. She had completely forgotten about the fracture until she had put her hand against her eyes and the pain now came flooding back as she cringed, cradling her hand to her bloody chest. The weight of the tentacle over her shoulder was beginning to unbalance her and she sucked in another deep breath to steady herself and increase her Magic Power. It worked, and she was able to now stand on her own. She gestured to the Exceed and he jumped into her arms, nuzzling into her bruised chest for comfort as she carried him up the carpeted stairs. She took a step and faltered slightly, feeling the blood seeping from a gash in her thigh. She sighed and pressed her face into Frosch's body suit, allowing the rub of the soft fabric to soothe her nerves. When her face emerged from the Exceed's suit, her eyes were hard and serious. Fury laced through them and her grip on Bokyaku tightened until her knuckles turned white.

Those bastards just started a war. They had better be ready to handle the wrath of Sabertooth.

Ryujin's lip twitched. She smiled.

 

 

 

 

 

He didn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to Yaerin's voice: http://italian-love-cake.tumblr.com/post/160070504611/cdawgva-commission-day-5-phone-call-with-jumin


	5. The Fairies

Rogue had never been a morning person. Getting the Shadow Dragon Slayer out of bed before half past ten in the morning was impossible, and anyone who dared to disturb the mage's slumber was sure to nurse the wounds for months after. Not even Sting or Ryujin could rouse him peacefully, and if he has gone longer than three days with no rest, he was a force to be reckoned with.

Nevertheless, being awoken at 6:45 on a Saturday was _not_ something he appreciated.

He had been enjoying a warm embrace with Sting, sleeping heavily as his husband kept him wrapped tightly in his arms. He had not had a full night's rest in almost two months, so you can probably imagine the look on his face when their bedroom door was kicked open with a loud bang and bounced off the opposite wall so violently that the wood splintered. Sting shot up, and Rogue, whom had been curled on his chest, was sent crashing to the floor with a confused yell. The chill of the stone floor seeped into his bones and he practically lunged up onto the bed again, diving under the covers to escape the cold. He growled and poked his head up from above the blankets to glare daggers at Ryujin. His scowl did not fade as he saw the state she was in. He huffed and ducked down again, flopping against the pillows.

"Go get Yukino to patch you up." His hoarse voice was muffled from under the blanket and he snuggled into Sting's side contentedly. Sting sighed and flung the blankets off of his legs, standing up and detaching himself from his Mate's side, earning a whine from the dark man.

Ryujin's leg, which had previously been in the air from kicking the door open lowered and she stood up straight again. Frosch, whom she had been holding with one arm, now wriggled free and flew over to Lector's bed on the desk next to the Slayers' nest of pillows and blankets. She grasped the tentacle slung over her shoulder and tossed it at Rogue. He was beginning to sit up, likely to yell at her for waking him, but was cut off when it hit his face with a loud smack. He froze completely, and Sting paused from where he was bent over, currently from tugging his trousers up his long muscled legs. Sting's eyes were wide with shock and he sucked in a breath as Rogue slowly raised a hand from his side to grasp at the black limb. He pulled it from his face and as soon as his eyes were revealed Sting took a step back, wincing. His husband's eyes were dark and furious, and veins were beginning to protrude along his neck and temple. However, his face remained passive as he swung his legs calmly over the bed and stood. He turned slowly to his sister, his long hair covering his eyes as his foot slapped loudly against the stone floor. Sting took another step back, his eyes growing wider as he tensed up, torn between calming Rogue and avoiding his wrath. Ryujin's face remained completely blank and her posture was totally relaxed. However, she nursed scars from pissing Rogue off too much, and she knew how much danger she was in right now. Nevertheless, she was completely unafraid. She raised her chin and stared at Rogue's pale figure as he stepped towards her. She saw Sting from out of the corner of her eye snap out of his trance and step forward, raising his hand to grab Rogue. The Sapphire Dragon Slayer tsked and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning Bokyaku against the wall behind her as she regarded Rogue silently.

"A gift. From Slenderman." Her words made the Twin Dragons freeze completely. Sting's eyes widened and narrowed in a fluid motion, striding over to his shorter sibling. It was not very bright in the room, and he used his power to illuminate it to get a better look at his sibling. Rogue blanched at the severity of her injuries. Her lower lip was swollen and bruised. Dried blood was caked under her blackened nose. Her left eye was lined with angry red scratches. Long yet shallow cuts littered her body, and as Sting circled her he yelped at the sight of her back, completely torn to shreds. Blood was spattered around her wounds and the bruises were causing her back to swell painfully. Sting's blood ran cold when he saw a flash of bone in the middle gash. A gasp from Rogue drew his attention down to her hand, and his jaw clenched when he saw the state it was in. The fingers were red and black, the bones sticking out in opposite directions. The veins were blackened and the tendons in her hand were blue, the skin an ugly purple colour. Aeron glanced warily over her shoulder at Sting, and the flash of pain in her eyes as she turned her head was all Sting needed to know. The brothers rushed at her and she flinched, instantly jumping above their heads and hitting the ceiling. The rock cracked around her and dust rained down on them as she landed behind Rogue. He whipped around to see her limping, and his eyes narrowed.

"Back off," She warned, holding her arm with her uninjured hand. She growled at the two brothers and they all froze when Lector and Frosch moved in front of her, floating in front of their friend as they faced their Slayers. Sting and Rogue stood side by side as they frowned at their Exceeds.

"Leave her alone!" Frosch squeaked and Lector nodded in agreement. "Yeah! She's hurt bad, and you two aren't helping at all by doing this!" He held a tiny paw up in front of his face. "You're only gonna make things worse if you attack her!" Sting and Rogue exchanged exasperated looks. Ryujin watched the Exceeds in surprise, blinking as they defended her. She frowned at them and sighed, pressing a hand to her face again.

"We really don't have the time for this. Two of the Proxies, Masky and Hoodie were spotted in the treelines of the woods. When pursued by Plyas and Yaerin, they summoned Slenderman, whom was able to seriously injure Yaerin. I was able to dismember the limb that he was going to use to kill the demon, and engaged the Proxies in combat. The bastards were able to escape, however. It would appear to me that Slenderman has the ability to teleport himself and others to different locations." Sting and Rogue's expressions turned grave when Ryujin began speaking, matching her own look. The Master of Sabertooth bowed his head and sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. When he looked up again, even Ryujin could not help but tense at the intense look in his eyes. Raw, unrestrained fury blazed in his eyes, and his lip was turned up in a snarl over his teeth. His entire frame was trembling, and when he spoke, his normally light and cheerful voice was dripping with hatred and seriousness.

"Call them in. We need all the help we can get, if they were able to escape the strongest Wizard Saint." His expression darkened even further as he frowned. "Something tells me this is gonna be a pain in the ass."

 

-

 

Lucy sighed as she rested her chin on her palm, propping her arm up against the window of the train as the land sped by. Gray's warm head was resting on her lap, his breathing deep and even as he slumbered. She blinked sleepily and yawned, rubbing her eyes tiredly in an attempt to wake herself up. She looked down to her SoulMate again and began running her hand through his hair. For a person who was an Ice Devil Slayer, he was surprisingly always warm. She could understand why he was always taking his clothes off. She smiled slightly at the memories of first meeting him. He had been completely nude and asked for her underwear in the politest way possible. Her smile faded as she recalled Natsu's intervention of their interaction. Lucy yawned again and shifted in her seat, trying not to wake Gray. The Celestial Mage looked up when the compartment door slid open and Erza Scarlet's head poked in. She met Lucy's gaze and the two Mages exchanged smiles.

"How is your journey so far?" The Requip Mage asked as she stepped inside and sat down, followed by Jellal and Meredy. The young girl closed the door behind them and sat down next to Gray after lifting his feet carefully and resting them on her lap. Meredy smiled cheerfully at Lucy before pulling off her cloak and wrapping it around her as a blanket. She yawned and stretched before settling down, closing her eyes to sleep. Jellal and Erza sat opposite Lucy and Gray, and she smiled at the tender way Jellal aided his injured wife to sit down. During the attack from Alvarez Empire, she had sustained many injuries to her body, one of the worst ones being in her stomach. Jellal had understood when they found out that she could never have children, but Erza was still taking it in. The redhead smiled at her husband and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as he pulled her close. He made eye contact with Lucy and gave her a knowing smile as the Queen of the Fairies drifted off to sleep. Lucy noticed the crumpled piece of paper in his hand, quite similar to the one she held in her own grasp. She smoothed out the paper once again and read the five words scrawled hastily in what would normally be neat handwriting.

 

 

 

 

 

> **WE NEED YOU HERE. URGENT.**
> 
> **-R.**

Lucy frowned. She had read and reread the letter so many times she was surprised that the ink hadn't yet burned into her eyes. The normally elegant handwriting of Ryujin was rushed and messy, and the paper was covered in smudged ink. When the letter had come through, the Guild had descended into uproar. Everyone had practically raced to pack and rush to the train stations, not needing to know anything further, as the demon Aeron had sent the letter with was Kyouka, whom had explained that the previous member of Fairy Tail had asked her to refrain from disclosing any further information about the situation, much to the annoyance of the Guild. Thinking back now, Lucy realised how much she truly missed the girl she had come to see as her younger sister. Ryujin never asked for help from other Guilds; she was the Strongest Wizard Saint, and the fact that Sabertooth needed Fairy Tail among other Guilds to come urgently was unsettling to say the least. Lucy frowned and bit her lip, curling her hand into her fist and crushing the paper.

"Something on your mind?" Jellal's voice startled her and she jumped, glancing down to check if she had woken Gray. He kept sleeping, and Lucy looked up to Jellal with wide eyes. She chuckled nervously and looked away after seeing the intense look in his eyes. 

"It's just... Sabertooth has three Dragon Slayers, and a Wizard Saint, the Strongest one at that. What could have happened that made Ryujin so afraid? What is it that is so dangerous?" She met Jellal's eyes again. He was frowning softly, which worried her. Jellal was once a Wizard Saint himself, and the fact that  _he_ was worried terrified the eighteen year old. Lucy sighed as she looked out of the window again. It was starting to rain quite heavily, the water pounding against the glass pane and blurring the outside landscape.

"I'm sure that once we get there all will be explained," Jellal's voice once again startled her, having fallen silent for almost five minutes. Lucy looked back to the Heavenly Body Mage as he continued speaking. "I highly doubt that your friend would seek Crime Sorciere out if she did not have a good reason," he paused. "Heaven knows that she hates Macbeth and the others. She would not have called for us unless Sabertooth was in deep trouble. What makes me uneasy, though," He glanced out to the window when lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the compartment and then plunging it back into darkness. Lucy held her breath and her fingers tightened in Gray's hair.

"Is the fact that Sabertooth has never asked for help before. So what exactly is it that has scared them so much?"

Lucy sighed. "That's what I wanna know."

 

-

Ryujin winced as the alcohol was dribbled onto her back, sterilizing the wound. She was straddling a chair, leaning her forearms on the back of it as Yukino tended to the wounds on her back. She was completely shirtless from the waist up, save for a small slip of black fabric that covered the essential parts of her chest. She was wearing her usual combat trousers and had her calf boots already laced up. Her trousers were black and baggy, but tightened as they reached the bottom of her kneecaps, forming a cusp around her calves. These were always covered by her boots. The multiple pockets were always useful as she was able to carry many items with her hands full. The metal of the belt bit into her skin as she leaned over the chair, pressing her face into her scratched arms. Yukino put the bottle of alcohol down and Ryujin reached for it, gulping a drink of the burning liquid before Yukino snatched it away.

"You're too young to drink!" The Celestial Mage scolded, wagging a finger at the younger girl, making her huff and narrow her eyes.

"Quit treating me like a fucking child already. You're only two years older than me." She grumbled, looking away from Yukino and stretching her back, resisting the urge to wince when pain shot through her. Yukino sighed and placed the bottle down, out of Aeron's reach this time and picked up a small vial. She opened it and the Slayer breathed in deeply as the intoxicating scent of raw sapphire entered the air. It was extremely dangerous for Ryujin to eat her own element as the Sapphire Dragon, Hoseki's power was so extreme that she could lose control of herself. The power of the Sapphire Slayer was so intense that she could destroy an entire continent with one breath attack, could eliminate cities with one blow to the ground. Aeron was still learning how to control her power, even after almost ten years of not seeing her dragon. She sighed as Yukino handed her a small brush after dipping it into the bottle and she touched it to the tip of her tongue, handing it quickly back to Yukino as the sapphire charged through her, sending chills down her spine. She groaned and gripped the top of the chair, the wood instantly shattering under her grasp as it tightened ever so slightly. Ryujin's eyes briefly glowed even brighter than they normally would and her whole skin seemed to emit light, returning to a healthier colour than it originally was. Yukino smiled as Ryujin became almost radiant with the surge of her original power, and the gashes on her back began to rapidly close. Yukino envied her as she watched. Ryujin was so powerful at such a young age. All Dragon Slayers had the ability of increased healing, but Ryujin was at a disadvantage because of this. A Dragon Slayer's healing speed is increased when they eat their element, but due to Ryujin not being able to consume her own element her healing always took more time. The longer she goes without her element, the longer it takes for her to heal. Ryujin's power was simply too much to contain in her small body.

As Ryujin fluidly stood up, the muscles in her back flexing as she did, Yukino could not help looking her over. Ryujin's dark brown hair was tied into a messy plait flung over her shoulder, and it contrasted starkly to her slightly tanned skin. She was darker than Rogue, yet paler than Sting. She was the perfect in-between, the complete piece of the puzzle that is the Dragon Slayer Trio. Ryujin pulled off the black fabric covering her chest and replaced it with simple support bandages. Yukino's gaze lingered over Ryujin's toned body as she reached for the clean, cream-coloured button up shirt and shrugged it on. The muscles in her scarred shoulders flexed and moved under her skin as she shrugged the silky fabric on, long and slender fingers buttoning them up quickly and with ease. The shirt was stretched over her breasts, which were slightly smaller than Lucy's. The Slayer scowled at this, her sharp jawline clenching as she reached for her black leather waistcoat and pushing her arms through the sleeve holes. She closed the three buttons briskly and straightened the waistcoat quickly. She reached up to pull her glossy hair from the string tie and allowed it to fall around her face in waves before sweeping it up into a simple ponytail, the way it usually was. As Yukino admired the younger girl, she studied her side profile, and felt a twinge of envy. Ryujin's high cheekbones and slender nose complimented her angular jaw perfectly, and her eyebrows were arched delicately over her eyes when she was not scowling (which was most of the time.) She truly was a beautiful girl. Her eyes, though. Her eyes were Yukino's favourite. They were slits, the same as Sting and Rogue's in shape. They were like a cat's, with long narrow pupils. The colour of her eyes was something that can never truly be described, however. They were like liquid fire, the amber and orange and scarlet blending together. The pale gold and yellows that surrounded her iris faded out into bold ambers and oranges as they reached towards her outer rims. The way they glanced coldly at anyone could send shivers down their spine. They often were masked with a blank expression, the colours dull and lifeless and it was obvious to anyone that looked at her that she hid a painful past. But when emotion flooded through them, it was a sight that was almost holy to see. The colours would flare to life, the hues burning with such intensity that anyone would do anything to see them, to be able to see the way that her eyes literally glowed with emotion. Yukino loved the way they changed depending on her moods. When Ryujin was truly happy, on the rare occasion that she allowed herself to show pure joy and smile, her eyes would lighten to a liquid gold, flecked with colours of copper and amber, a sight that was so beautiful that Yukino cried the first time she saw it. When she was upset, her eyes would darken to a burnt orange, crimson rimming the outer edges of her iris. If she was irritated, her eyes would darken ever so slightly to a slightly burnt orange, the red around her outer rims shadowing to a light scarlet. It was haunting to see her eyes like that, but when Ryujin was angry, when fury coursed through her veins, that was when her foe knew that all hope of escaping alive was lost. Her eyes would darken to a deep blood red, black rimming the outer edges. Charred orange would burn within them, and her eyes would literally blaze with her rage. As she would descend upon her victims and paint her skin with their blood, all they would be able to see is the burning pits of hell within her eyes.

Ryujin glanced over when she felt Yukino's gaze and saw the older girl staring at her. She arched a brow and turned fully towards her, not realising that she had missed one of the buttons on her shirt, right over her chest. She crossed her arms and cleared her throat, furrowing her brows ever so slightly at the Celestial Mage. She was startled by the look in Yukino's eyes. It reminded her of the way a starved man looked at a plate of meat, and she reflexively growled at Yukino for looking at her like that. She narrowed her eyes and was pleased when the Celestial Wizard flinched and focused in on her annoyed expression. A snarl was curling in her throat as real annoyance began rising in her chest. "You already have a SoulMate Yukino. Stop looking at me like that. It's truly sickening." She snapped, sliding past the frowning girl and storming out of the room. She huffed as she stalked down the halls. 

Yukino was Minerva's SoulMate, yet she had been looking at Ryujin with pure lust in her eyes. The Dragon Slayer sighed and rubbed her eyes irritably. If Yukino had the privilege of seeing colour and meeting the other half of her Soul, then why was she looking at Ryujin like that? She scowled and bounced into something hard. She looked up, ready to slam her fist into whatever it was, but stopped when she saw Sting staring down at her with a panicked expression. As she opened her mouth to question what was bothering him, his hand slammed into her stomach, sending her crashing into the wall with a surprised grunt. Ryujin's back hit the wall and her breath was momentarily stolen from her lungs. She coughed as the bricks around her shattered and dust rose in a thick cloud around her. She scrambled to her feet, ready to lunge at Sting for attacking her so randomly. Sting held up his hands and backed away from her, his eyes wide with shock and wariness. Ryujin growled and lunged for him, swiping at him with her fist. He dodged her attack and turned on his heel and sprinted down the hallway. Ryujin's eyes narrowed with determination. Oh, like _hell_ was she letting him get away.

"Damn it, Eucliffe! As soon as I get my hands on you, you're _mincemeat!"_ She shouted, taking off after him in hot pursuit, leaving the ruined walls behind.

-

Lucy stared up at the castle from behind the grime of the carriage window. The villagers had been creepy, to say the least, and the fact that they only had two horse drawn carriages as a means of transportation meant that only six people at a time could get to the castle. Lucy had climbed into the first carriage with a grimace, only moving into the smelly box because Gray's hand on her thigh prevented her from moving back. Wendy, Carla, Gajeel, Levy, Mirajane and Makarov were accompanying them. Wendy clutched Carla to her chest as she looked outside with a wary expression. The forest was extremely unsettling, and when Lucy reached for Gray's hand she realised how unnerved he was due to how clammy his palm was. The journey seemed to take hours, but in reality could not have lasted any longer than forty five minutes. She sighed. Due to the assistance of Minerva, whom had brought Kyouka and the  letter to the Guilds, had used her Territory Magic to teleport them all from the train station to the village. Due to this, it had only taken two weeks instead of one month. It had drained Minerva to the point of unconsciousness, but Lucy knew she would be alright, because Ryujin was there. The young girl had helped with the teleportation, along with other Mages from Crime Sorciere. The castle loomed over them, and Lucy's grip on Gray's hand tightened. She was beyond excited to see Ryujin, but the bubble of happiness rising in her chest was quickly popped when she remembered that she had called them for help, not for a happy reunion. The carriage lurched to a stop and they all climbed up. Yukino was standing at the drawbridge next to Minerva and she rushed at Lucy, enveloping her in a hug as Minerva greeted the rest of the group. They were led inside, and Lucy couldn't help but shiver at the ominous feeling that seemed to hang around the building. They all tensed as a loud crash sounded from somewhere within, and Yukino sighed as Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Are they still at it?" Minerva hissed, stalking forward and reaching out to grab the handle of a rather large door. It turned out that she had no need to, as the door was blown apart. A body collided with Gray's and he let out a startled yell as he was flung backwards into the wall. Lucy jumped back and peered around the door cautiously to check if the coast was clear. Her eyes widened even further when she saw a figure standing next to a long table, one leg propped up on it while an arm was in the air, a hand gripping the bicep as the owner leaned forward, clearly in the middle of yelling at the person who had been flung through the door.

"-What I thought, ya bastard!" Ryujin's irritated voice rang through Lucy's ears and she flinched back as a presence blew past her, heading straight for her waiting figure. They intercepted and began jumping around the cavernous hall, landing blows and spitting curses at each other as Orga watched them in exasperation.

"You two should really give it a rest. If Rogue finds you fighting he'll kick both of your asses." The Lightning God Slayer called timidly, sighing as the two completely ignored him. Suddenly, Sting's back slammed into the ground with a loud crack and then Ryujin was on top of him, straddling his hips and gripping his opened jacket in her fist, holding his upper torso to her face as she snarled down at him. Ryujin was trying to hold him down as he struggled to escape her, and her fist raised to rain a blow down onto his paled face. Lucy gasped and ran forward, dodging Jellal's hand as he tried to stop her.

"Ryujin! Sting! Cut it out already!" A deep voice boomed through the hall and the siblings both froze. Lucy stopped mid-step and felt the blood drain from her face. Simultaneously everyone turned to look at a deeply scowling Sockol. The demon's fists were clenched and his orange skin was flushed as his seething black eyes were fixed on the wrestling siblings. He had never done her any harm, but Sockol had always terrified Lucy on the few occasions that they had met before. Standing at seven feet tall he was extremely thin yet muscular, his skin was always stretched so gauntly over his face that it looked like he had never eaten a meal in his life. His horns were curled over his ears, similar to a goat's, and his seven fingers were extremely long and thin. His arms hung down to the tops of his knees and his three eyes always seemed to burn into whoever they landed on. Lucy and Sting both flinched, but Ryujin barely reacted. She simply shifted her weight onto her heels and stared up at one of her spirits. She frowned when Sockol growled impatiently and she huffed, standing up in one fluid motion and reaching down to grab Sting's collar again. She jerked him up effortlessly and he stumbled slightly, towering over her smaller frame momentarily before stepping back. Ryujin lifted her head to glare at her brother, and he returned her scowl before Sockol clearing his throat gained their attention. Ryujin growled and whipped around to face him, her back now completely to Lucy and the others.

 _"What."_ She ground out, her eyes steely as she stared Sockol down. The demon flapped his hands and returned her stare for a few moments before looking away, unable to handle his Master's intense glare. Still refusing to look up, he began grumbling.

"Your guests have arrived." Ryujin stiffened and she turned her head, her eyes widening ever so slightly as Lucy met her gaze. Ryujin twisted, turning her body so that she was facing Lucy sideways, her eyes widening even further as the Celestial Mage let out a happy cry and ran straight at her, flinging herself at her comrade as the Sapphire Dragon Slayer extended an arm out to her. The girl had grown, Lucy realised with a start, as the Slayer wrapped her strong arms around her shoulders and resting her chin on the top of Lucy's head. The blonde squeezed her friend tightly, her arms gripping her waist as she nuzzled into Ryujin's neck. Her familiar smell washed over the Celestial Mage. Lucy's nose was far inferior to the Slayers', but she could always pick out the scent of ginger spice. Sting had mentioned it to her before that his sister's scent was fresh green apples and ginger spice with a hint of cinnamon. Lucy had always loved her smell, and she sniffed now, feeling tears sting at her eyes. Ryujin tightened her grip around Lucy when the Celestial Mage let out a wail and practically suffocated the girl when she squeezed her even tighter. When Ryujin pulled away her face was as passive as ever, but the slight pressure she put on Lucy's shoulder when she let go told her that the Slayer was extremely happy to see her. The colour of liquid gold in her eyes was also a giveaway to her inner feelings. Lucy beamed up at Ryujin through her tears, and the younger girl scoffed and stepped away, turning to face Sting. The White Dragon Slayer was practically beaming at them, making Ryujin growl at him.

"I'll wipe that shit-eating grin right off your face, jackass!" She growled, taking a step towards her Guild Master. He simply smiled and patted her on the head before turning and sprinting out of the hall. Ryujin stared at his rapidly disappearing figure in disbelief.

" _OI!_ You've got guests to deal with! Get back here now, you rat bastard!" She yelled, taking off in hot pursuit after him as Jellal sighed and placed a hand to his temple.

"I guess some things never change," He said as Ryujin shot past him, earning a glare from her as she raced after Sting. He chuckled at her and moved further inside the hall, briefly glancing at Sockol before turning his attention to Orga.

"So what exactly did Sting do to annoy Ryujin this time?" He questioned as he took a seat, shifting over when Lucy sat next to him. His question was left unanswered as Gray and Erza sat beside them and looked up to Makarov and Mirajane as they walked over and sat down. Makarov turned to Sockol and the demon glared at him. The Guild Master coolly returned his gaze, but this time the creature did not back down from his stare.

"Is Rogue anywhere around here so that we might speak to him about the matter of our summons?" He enquired in a clipped tone, straightening when Sockol growled under his breath at the Fairies. Lucy sighed. Sockol had always been known for his bad attitude, and would only show respect to Ryujin. Most of the demons under her control had been forced to work under her due to her forcing them to submit to her. She always challenged a demon she saw to be useful to a battle and declared that the loser would have to form a contract with the winner.

She had yet to lose a challenge.

Lucy sighed as Sockol ignored Makarov and turned to walk away from them. She fiddled with her keys and thought back to when Ryujin had told Fairy Tail that she had formed contracts with Tartaros. Everyone has been appalled, but Ryujin had assured them that the demons would be on their best behaviour from now on, and, true to her word, they had yet to harm any innocents. Lucy was still uneasy being around Jackal, as any time that she looked at him or heard his laugh she was reminded painfully of Aquarius. Lucy chewed on her lip as she brushed against Loke's key. The Celestial Spirit had promised her that any time that she knew Ryujin was around he would allow her to summon him, even on his date nights. It wasn't that he disliked Ryujin, he just had a hatred for Jackal in particular for what he did to Lucy and himself. The blonde contemplated summoning him now, but she was exhausted from the journey here and knew she wouldn't be able to keep his Gate open for long. It would just be a waste of her magic power.

"He asked you a question, asshole." Lucy tensed up immediately and her blood ran cold. She trembled as she dared to glance behind her and flinched when she was met with the bare chest of none other than the demon dog himself. Sockol began spluttering and Lucy scooted away from Jackal quickly, pressing into Gray's side firmly as he and the rest of them turned to look at the explosive demon. His ears flicked and he scowled at Lucy, crossing his muscled arms over his chest. He looked back to Sockol and lifted his lip in a snarl as the other demon hissed at him, making Lucy flinch and burrow deeper into Gray's side. He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her onto his lap, ignoring her protests as he stared at Jackal. The demons were currently in a stare down, and Lucy knew she would have to break it up, no matter how terrified she was. She cleared her throat and summoned Plue quickly, drawing all eyes in the room on her. Jackal's ear twitched ever so slightly as the Canis Minor appeared on the table. His ear swivelled and then flattened, and he reached an arm past Lucy to pick the spirit up and hoist him onto his shoulder silently. His tense posture had relaxed ever so slightly and Lucy sighed in relief, relaxing herself. Jackal had always been fond of Plue as a fellow dog, and the tiny spirit was normally able to calm him down if Aeron was not there. Plue hummed and hugged the demon's head, patting at his hair. Sockol scowled and it was only then that Lucy realised that Orga, Yukino and Minerva had left the room. Erza seemed to notice this at the same time as Lucy and cleared her throat, standing up and gaining the attention of the spirits. 

"Excuse me, but might one of you please take us to Rogue? Sting and Ryujin seem to be busy at the present time."

Jackal rolled his eyes. "Don't be so self-centered. Do you seriously think that I would come here without a reason? You must really be dumb if you think I actually _want_ to be around you humans." Jackal sneered after sniggering, leering at the Requip Mage. It was known by many that Erza despised the Demons of Tartaros, and Jackal was no exception to this hatred. Jackal grinned smugly at Erza when she huffed and crossed her arms.

"Ryujin sent me to come and get ya. Just follow me and try not to get lost, kiddos." He sniggered as he wheeled around and stalked out of the hall. Everyone filed out, completely disregarding an agitated Sockol. The orange demon scowled and fumed, pacing back and forth before he felt the pull of his Mistress's call. He sneered and allowed himself to be drawn to her.

The time was coming for his freedom. Soon.

-

Jackal was quick and he knew the hallways of the castle well already. This much was apparent as he strode confidently down the long and cold hallways. Lucy was panting in his wake as she struggled to keep up with them. Jackal had badly injured Lucy's leg when his Guild had attacked hers, and she had had trouble walking ever since. The Celestial Mage was badly tempted to remind the demon of this, but decided against it as she wasn't in the mood to put up with his taunting. Jackal stopped suddenly in front of a large door that looked exactly the same as every other one they had passed, but he seemed confident as he raised a clawed hand and rapped on the solid wood, making booming noises before pushing it open. Heat flowed out and an irritated voice called to close the door. Jackal slipped inside and everyone followed, filing inside. Lucy glanced around the room and was met with a welcome sight. A roaring fire crackled in a large fireplace, casting flickering shadows on the walls and Lucy was very grateful for the heat as she rushed over to warm herself. She stood in front of it and held her hands out until she was warm enough, and when she turned around she bumped into a very solid chest. She yelped in surprise and looked up to meet the equally surprised eyes of Rogue as he stared down at her. In his hand he held a dark leather bound book, and it was only then that she realised that they were in either a very large office lined with bookshelves, or a very tiny library. Rogue stepped back and pursed his lips at the Celestial Mage as she ducked out from underneath his raised arm. The Shadow Mage turned around and placed the book onto the desk behind him. He leaned against it and crossed his arms, observing the group, seeming to be deep in thought before he spoke.

"Thank you, Jackal." He always sounded so solemn, but now his voice was hoarse and scratchy. If Lucy didn't know better, she would have thought that the Third Generation Slayer was ill. Of course, Rogue would have taken great offense to this. Dragon Slayers never get sick, aside from motion sickness. Lucy frowned at Rogue and opened her mouth to speak, but Mirajane beat her to it.

"Oh, are you okay Rogue? You don't sound too good." She spoke, pouting in concern as she stepped forward and raised her hand to place it against his pale forehead. Rogue jerked back, a deep scowl instantly making its way onto his face as Mira flinched back. Rogue sighed and sat down on the desk, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I apologise. I have not been able to sleep for the past few weeks, so I am not feeling my best. I understand that you are concerned about my wellbeing, but please do not touch me so carelessly in the future."  His voice was clipped and irritated, so he took a few deep and raspy breaths to calm himself down. Lucy didn't know if it was the fire's light or her own eyes, but Rogue's cheeks seemed hollow, bags of exhaustion rimming his eyes. His hair was slightly messy and falling from his loose ponytail, hanging in front of his eyes. He swiped at it impatiently and blew another sigh. Makarov stepped forward.

"If you need to rest, Rogue, we can wait. It might be best for the rest of the Guild members to arrive before explaining things to us." His tone was laced with concern, and he reached out a hand before pausing and withdrawing it back under his cloak. Rogue regarded him silently with his usual solemn expression, not appreciating the fact that his weakness was so apparent to them. The Dragon Slayer closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had a pounding headache behind his eyes, and whilst the appreciated the warmth and light from the fire, it was simply worsening the pain. Jackal's voice made his eyes snap open.

"Dude, you look like shit. If you're gonna pass out, do it after screwing Sting, not on the job." He barked bluntly, and Rogue seethed. He clenched his hands into fists and stalked towards the demon with a face like thunder. A sharp tug on his shoulder pulled him to a stop, and he glared over his shoulder at Gray, his scarlet gaze piercing into him. Gray's grip on his shoulder tightened and pain flashed through Rogue's eyes. He shrugged Gray's cold hand off and turned halfway to face him, looking down before sighing to calm himself.

"Why is it that you can never display actual manners, Jackal?" He sighed, and Jackal's cackle made him grit his teeth. The past three weeks had been more than draining, and even powerful Dragon Slayers became tired at times. A ringing began in Rogue's ears and he took a slow step towards the desk again. Papers and files were scattered across the scarred wood and he rubbed his eyes before fumbling through them, his normal quick and precise movements slow and clumsy as his blistered fingers gripped the worn papers. A page sliced into his finger and blood oozed out, rolling over dangerously close to the open book in front of him.  He jerked his hand back automatically and the force of his reaction caused him to lose his balance. He crashed onto the floor and the panicked cries of Lucy and the rest of the group were the last thing that he heard before slipping into darkness.

But, for once, he did not welcome the shadows.

 

-

 

Ryujin propped her leg up on her chair, wrapping her arm around it and holding it to her chest as she pored over the documents in front of her. She chewed on her thumb absently, sucking on the soft flesh as her teeth nibbled at her nail gently, with just enough pressure to bend the nail but not break it. Sting sat next to her on the ground with his legs crossed, leaning against her chair and resting his head on her thigh of the leg that was angled towards the floor. Her bare foot just hardly brushed the cold ground but she was not complaining. The floor was giving her chills and she did not want to put on her heavy boots. The chair was rather high, but the seat of it seemed to only come up to Sting's shoulders, much to his sibling's irritation. He had teased her about it before receiving a swift punch to the head. Ryujin shifted slightly and her eye mask dug into the skin of her thigh. She pulled at the material slightly, not giving the area on her leg with Tobias' name a second glance. Usually the Slayer's mask would be tied over the arm of her trench coat but she could no longer bear to look at his name. It didn't ease the pain very much, but she hoped that it would make it easier when the time to capture him came. Ryujin chewed on her lip and rubbed her stomach, over a particular scar. She sighed and flipped the page, biting harder on her nail as she read further on the Operator. Her eyes burned. She was so tired.

-

"Ryujin!"

"Mph." She pulled her arm away when someone grabbed it, shaking the person off sleepily.

"Get up!"

"Fuck off." She mumbled, her voice croaky and hoarse from sleep. She yawned and shifted, burrowing her face further into her arms. She was so tired, and her arms were so warm...

_"Ryujin Chikara Kizuatojo, wake up right now or so help me god I **will throw holy water over your lazy ass!"**_

Her eyelids flew open and she shot up, wide awake. "I'm up."

Levy scowled down at her and the Sapphire Dragon Slayer rubbed her eye in irritation.

"The fuck do you want, midget? I was sleeping," Ryujin scowled at her, narrowing her unusual eyes at the Script Mage. The tiny girl crossed her arms and scowled up at the taller one. Levy literally had to crane her neck all the way back to look up at Ryujin, who was eight inches taller than her. At four foot nine, Levy was a very small girl. Even though she was almost two years younger, the Slayer had no trouble teasing her at how small she was. Ryujin yawned widely and rubbed her eyes again, leaning back against the chair she had been sitting in. Levy stared at her with wide eyes, full of contempt.

"Rogue collapsed!" She froze.

-

"Woods, you fucking dare touch my mask again and I will end you!" Masky roared as he shot down a long spiralling staircase, trying his best not to trip. Jeff was just a few steps beneath him as he raced down as fast as he could, evading the masked killer's reaching hands as best as possible. He vaulted the staircase when he was close enough to the ground without injuring himself too much and bolted into the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind him and barricading it quickly with the chipped and old wooden table. He hoisted himself up onto it and rested his bleached hands on his bloody jeans, gasping for breath and wiping his sweaty forehead. A noise in the kitchen made him look up and he glared up at the pale and shirtless figure standing next to the stained kitchen counter. Toby's goggles were pushed up on the top of his head, and his mask was slung around his neck, exposing his pale face. His dull eyes watched Jeff warily, and he twitched silently. Jeff returned the Proxy's stare before having his attention drawn back to keeping the door closed when a weight slammed against it. Jeff grunted and jumped off the table, moving to brace himself against the rotting wood. He looked over his shoulder and hooked his foot around a chair. It squeaked loudly as it scraped against the floor and he pulled the table away quickly, shoving the chair under the door handle and pushing the table back in place. Turning back around to glare at Toby, he saw that the man had hopped up onto the countertop. Jeff scowled and looked away from his bare torso. Even hunched over the way he was, Toby Rogers' muscles were still prominent, his toned abs showing even as he leaned over his plate. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he chewed and he set the plate down for a moment before pulling his goggles up and pushing his hair back. He allowed the goggles to fall back over his head and his eyes fell to Jeff's hands, in which the left one clutched a white mask with black holes for eyes and black lips. He raised a brow at Jeff silently in enquiry.

"God dammit Woods, _let me in!_ "

Toby's face instantly twisted into a deep scowl as Masky's voice thundered through the house. He twitched as the door received blow after blow and he sighed, putting his plate of toast down.

"Do you re-eally have to p-provoke hi-m like th-that?" He asked, folding his scarred arms across his equally maimed chest, frowning at Jeff. The serial killer cackled and held up the mask in triumph. Toby sighed and shook his head. He hopped down and Jeff glanced away when his jeans dropped dangerously low on his hips.

"Don't be so bitchy, twitchy. And pull up your goddamned pants, nobody wants to see your shrimp dick," he snapped, grunting at the force of the table rutting into his lower back. The Proxy lazily scratched his chest as he looked down. His snake trail was peeking over the top of his unbuttoned jeans and he groaned before pulling the zipper back all the way up and buttoning them. He pulled out his chainmail belt from where it was wrapped around his wrist and looped it around his waist, securing his jeans comfortably before turning and cramming the rest of his toast into his mouth. Toby was known for hating leather belts. His father had been prone to using them on him a lot even though he couldn't feel the pain, plus they were too weak to hold the weight of his axes, so he had a custom belt made. It would hurt like hell if someone was hit with it, and it was heavy too, and the bruises littering Toby's hips told everyone that the belt was not good through his jeans, but they were efficient in doing their job. Toby scowled at Jeff when the door was violently kicked again.

"Y-you'r-re act-ing like a child, the M-Master will be displeased by th-th-this childish b-b-behaviour. A-As much as I hate Mask-y, y-you should give it-t-t back before he breaks the d-door." He spoke calmly over the yells and banging of the doors. Jeff rolled his eyes. He was by no means a lenient or nice person, but he knew that Toby, as calm as he seemed, would not hesitate in decapitating Jeff if he pushed his buttons in the wrong way. Jeff didn't respond due to this. He honestly couldn't give two flying fucks about Slenderman, but as his Right Hand, Toby wasn't one who took his job lightly, and thus was one of the more serious ones in the 'group'. Jeff was only an assassin, and Toby was a Proxy. He was closer to the bottom of the food chain and Toby was right below the top, underneath the Operators. To say it pissed Jeff off was an understatement.

The door rattled again and began splintering as Masky began kicking at it. Toby scowled and stalked over to Jeff. He reached out and snatched the mask away from Jeff, despite his protests. The Proxy grabbed Jeff around his arm and lifted him into the air and away from the table. Ignoring his kicks and yells the Proxy grabbed the table and pulled it away easily. Jeff watched with an open mouth. It had taken all of his strength to move the table a few feet, but Toby was able to move it halfway across the room with only one hand, all the while holding Jeff in the air. The killer gripped Toby's wrist tightly and dug his fingernails into his pale skin, disregarding the fact that the Proxy couldn't feel pain. The door was shaking violently from Masky's assault and Toby sighed before pulling the chair away from it. Instantly it crashed open and Masky shot inside, colliding with his fellow Proxy. Whilst Masky was thrown to the floor, Toby barely took a step back. He was still holding Jeff in the air and now he pulled up his own mask over his mouth before tossing Masky's mask at him from where he was sprawled on the floor.

"You're a Proxy, T-Tim," Toby spat, irritation dripping from the words. Masky glowered up at the twitching killer. "You have un-undoubtedly better th-things t-to do than p-playing a-around w-with your s-subordinates. We do not have the t-time to play, s-so tr-ry to act m-more p-professional, d-dammit."

Masky scrambled up and glared at Toby before his eyes slid up to Jeff, still suspended in the air. He growled furiously.

"You got a fuckin' death wish, Mr Rogers?" He sneered, getting up into Toby's face. Toby's jaw clenched and he released Jeff abruptly. The killer landed hard on his ass with a pained grunt and stared up to the Proxies, locked in an immense stare-down.

"Sh-shut up, y-you know I-I hate being called-- that," He snarled, towering over Masky as the latter tied it back around his face. Masky was smaller than Toby, as the ticking Proxy was close to over six foot tall. Masky was now closing in on five foot nine, but right now he seemed tiny compared to Toby. He was breathing hard as he reached for Toby's throat, but they were suddenly grasped by a pair of gloved hands. Masky scowled up at Hoodie as he pulled his SoulMate gently away from the angry Proxy. Jeff was silent for once as he watched the three. It was not often that they were ever seen together for very long and he was curious to see what they were going to do. Toby crossed his arms over his chest and pulled at his mask, fixing it. As he did, his SoulMate's name, written on his bicep in neat and tall letters, stood out, the dark name standing out against his marred skin. Masky stared at it and he chuckled darkly. Toby raised a brow at the Proxy, unamused. Masky reached out and touched Toby's SoulName momentarily before his hand was slapped away harshly.

"I d-don't remember saying you c-could t-touch me, asshole." He scowled, eyes narrowed dangerously at the laughing Proxy. He lowered his hands, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he doubled over. Everyone stared at him solemnly, and Jeff stood up cautiously, moving to stand next to Toby. The taller Proxy glanced down at him briefly before looking back to Masky.

"The fuck is so funny, freak?" Jeff spat, and if he had eyelids he would have narrowed his eyes. Masky's head snapped up at he pointed at Toby, still laughing. His laughter died down into chuckles before he spoke. He wrapped an arm around Hoodie and stared at Toby, who stared back with a blank expression.

"It turns out, _Toby,_ that your precious Ryujin Kizuatojo, is a member of _Sabertooth_. She's gonna be 'hunting' us, and _you're_ gonna have to take the bitch down." He said smugly. Toby's face had twisted into distrust, but as soon as the words were out of Masky's mouth, his expression went blank.

Then, he snapped.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toby's very first appearance! This chapter is very rushed, I apologise, but I am in the middle of my exams at the moment so I am finding it difficult to update. Please bear with me ^^


	6. The Fallen Shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is what I'm doing instead of revising for my English Language GCSE exam tomorrow :)

The wood splintered under Ryujin's palm as she slapped against it, sending it flying open as she stormed in. Levy's frantic calls behind her were ignored as she strode inside the ward, her bare feet slapping against the freezing floor. She reached out and yanked back a white curtain, stopping when she saw Rogue lying in the makeshift cot. Sting sat next to him, his face lined with worry as he clutched his mate's hand desperately. His head snapped up, a snarl evident on his face as he moved to defend Rogue's prone body. Ryujin threw out her forearm and knocked Levy back, reaching and blocking Sting's attack before he could realise who it was. Realisation dawned upon his face and he pulled away, rubbing his neck sheepishly as he retreated back to Rogue's side. Levy had squeaked when the breath was knocked out of her and was now standing next to Ryujin, scolding and punching her arm repeatedly. The Sapphire Dragon Slayer ignored her and walked over to Rogue's side, crouching down next to her sibling and pushing his hair out of his eyes. Sweat glistened on his forehead and cheeks and his breathing was laboured and uneven. His eyes were screwed up in pain even in his unconscious state, his lips twisted up in agony. Ryujin frowned and chewed on her lip, reaching out to place the back of her hand on his forehead. Her hands were always icy, but his skin practically scorched her when her fingers brushed his white skin. She jerked back in surprise and bumped into Sting's solid body as he hovered behind her, apprehension written across his face. She frowned up at him.

"The hell happened? Dragon Slayers don't get sick," she exclaimed before being hushed by Levy and Sting. She sighed and rose from her crouch, perching next to Rogue's shifting body. The heat practically radiated from him and Ryujin winced when he let out a low moan, his hands twisting and grasping at the sheets in his sleep. She frowned at him and reached out again, sliding her cold and tiny hand into his large and hot one. She stiffened when his fingers closed over hers, his grip so tight that she almost winced. His hold was crushing and when she turned to look she saw bruises rapidly forming on Sting's hand. He gave her a small frown and she sighed to turn back to Rogue.

"Go and get Gray and Wendy, Levy. Juvia as well, she'll be able to help." She spoke suddenly, startling the two Mages. The Solid Script Mage nodded and scurried outside, her footsteps rapidly fading down the hall. She turned back to Sting, her expression grave. He furrowed his brows at her and she could see beneath his hard exterior. He was absolutely terrified. The Mage sighed and gripped her sibling's arm, pulling him down to crouch next to her. She met his eyes, her gaze stern and serious.

"He seems to be having the same reaction that I did when we were travelling through the forest to get to the village. But," she paused, "for some reason he's only taking the sickness now. His level of magic power is lower than mine, so I would have expected for him to react first, instead of the other way around." She frowned deeply, rubbing small and soothing circles into Rogue's skin as he let out a pained whine. His grip tightened on her and she knew that if he applied any more pressure bones would snap. Ryujin attempted to recall what she could remember from Gray teaching her about Ice Make magic and she used it to send chills through her fingertips and through Rogue's hand. Immediately goosebumps began to form on his ghostly skin and Rogue released a small breath, relaxing ever so slightly as his frown lightened minutely. She continued to rub his skin and send her chills through him until Levy returned accompanied by Gray and Wendy. At Sting's enquiry, they found out that Juvia was on the last carriage to come to the castle. Ryujin scowled and shifted as Gray and Wendy moved to Rogue's side. The three Slayers made eye contact and Ryujin began explaining Rogue's condition, asking Gray to take her place in cooling her brother down as she and Wendy got to work on curing his sickness. She knelt down on the floor next to Rogue, ignoring the chills from the floor as she peeled the covers back from his body. Her blood ran cold at what she saw, and the gasps around her told her that she wasn't the only one concerned.

Dark black lines pulsed and twisted underneath Rogue's skin, seeming to grow and actually _crawl_ under his skin. Ryujin's eyes went wide and she clapped a hand over her mouth as the realisation hit her.

Rogue had swallowed the shadows that had attacked her in the forest.

"Get back!" She shouted, shooting up and grabbing Wendy by the arm and shoving her away, reaching out to Gray, but Sting beat her to it as he stood and grabbed his shoulder, pulling him swiftly away from Rogue's writhing body as Levy backed away. The Devil and Dragon Slayer let out surprised noises as they were pulled away from the Shadow Dragon Slayer and gave her wide, quizzical stares. She frowned deeply and pushed them further away.

"Get Gajeel here. _Now._ " Levy gaped at the Slayer until she deepened her tone and pushed Wendy into her arms. The tiny girl snapped out of her trance and Gray protested as he was ushered out.

"It's too dangerous for you here, I'm even against Sting being in here but I know that he isn't gonna fuckin' leave no matter what I do." She said nonchalantly as she pushed Gray out. Sting spluttered behind her but she knew that internally he was pleased. Everyone is protective of their SoulMate, but a Dragon Slayer's protective instincts are further fuelled by their draconic side, and Ryujin knew that within Sting he was suffering just as much as Rogue was. She swallowed a lump in her throat as she looked at the unguarded expression of pure terror on his face.

If a person's SoulMate died, they would experience their pain fully, as if they were dying themselves. Some people chose to commit suicide in order to escape the torture and to join their loved one.

And she would be damned if she was going to lose her brothers.

She reached out and touched Sting's muscled forearm gently. He jumped and looked at her, blinking twice before really seeming to focus in on her. When his clouded eyes did zone in, he furrowed his eyebrows slightly, silently enquiring her actions. She normally refrained from touching people as much as possible, terrified that anyone she did graze with her skin would become infected with a rotting evil that always hung about the girl. She twisted her lips up into an attempt to smile at Sting to reassure him, and he blinked at her again in surprise. His sister never smiled, never let her guard down around anyone. Sting's frown deepened when he saw how dark her eyes were. She was ready to rip whatever it was inside Rogue's body to pieces, and he couldn't blame her, because he felt the exact same way. He was seething, absolutely livid that something had dared harm his mate.

The only thing holding him back from leaving to seek out whatever it was that had attached itself to Rogue was Ryujin's gentle yet firm grip on his arm. He averted his gaze from her imploring one and stalked back over to Rogue, crouching down and brushing his mate's matted hair away from his glistening forehead gently and tenderly pressing a kiss to his temple, reaching down to take one of Rogue's hands and stroking his thumb alongside it soothingly. Their sister watched them silently, not wanting to disturb the rare show of affection that her Guild Master was displaying for her triplet. She sighed and crossed her arms before walking over and standing next to Sting. She reached down and gripped her guardian's shoulder tightly, trying to pull him away from Rogue's twisting body. When he resisted, she sighed and rubbed her temples.

"Sting, you need to move away from him. It could infect you too, and we need our Master able-bodied. You're supposed to be patrolling the village tonight." She chided, pulling at his shoulder again. He scowled up at her and she narrowed her eyes at him in warning. Despite how much she cared for her brother, she simply couldn't help disliking being challenged. She had always suspected that it was the satanic blood in her veins demanding dominance, and no matter how much she fought it she could not do anything but snarl when another person threatened her.

Sting realised his mistake and bowed his head in silent apology to her. She sighed and pulled him to his feet and pushed him back from the bed, her palm flat on his bared chest as he stared down at her in conflicted protest. He made no move to fight her, however and the girl was glad. She needed all of her energy and strength to pull the entity out of Rogue.  She chewed her lip as she stared down at her prone brother. She and Gajeel were going to have to eat the shadows and hopefully be able to expel it before it took hold in their bodies again. Ryujin knew from what the healers had told her that this was going to be extremely dangerous. If those shadows entered her body again it was highly likely that she would die. She reached down and rubbed at Toby's name on her thigh, over the mask.

The Dragon Slayer sighed as she returned to Rogue's side, staring down at the marks coiling under his skin. Her eyes were glowing in the dimness of the room, a trait that only she possessed out of all the Slayers. She crossed her arms over her chest and turned when the door slammed open, a very disgruntled Gajeel storming in, followed by a frantic Levy. The teacher and ex-student made eye contact and Ryujin knew that her expression was guarded, her eyes cold and hard as she regarded Gajeel with reserve. The Iron Dragon Slayer sauntered in after pausing to take in the room and Levy scurried alongside him, practically running to keep up with him.

"I take it Levy has filled you in on the situation?" She spoke coldly, feeling slightly pleased as Gajeel stopped to acknowledge her words. He narrowed his eyes and all Ryujin had to do was turn fully to face him and he nodded, looking away from her intense stare to watch Rogue's unconscious body. He frowned, and the studs where his eyebrows should be knitted. She watched him silently, gauging his reaction. He hummed and stepped forward, pushing Levy back to Sting's side. He didn't even spare her a glance over his shoulder.

"Get outta here, Shrimp." Levy scowled at his words and Ryujin rolled her eyes as she began to argue and rant about name-calling to her SoulMate. Sting gripped her arm and gently but firmly steered her outside of the room, closing the door behind her despite her protests. Gajeel moved to stand next to Ryujin silently, staring down at the suffering man. Without raising her head or changing her tone, she spoke.

"You understand what we have to do, right?"

Gajeel grunted his acknowledgement, striding over to Rogue's left side while Ryujin took his right. As they knelt down, the girl couldn't help but take in a breath. She looked up to Sting.

"You know how to destroy shadows, don't you?"

-

"How much fuckin' longer am I gonna have to stay here in this dump?"

Hoodie turned to look at the scowling Jeff, remaining silent as the killer continued to wave his arms in frustration.

"I mean, out of all the others, why come after me? I got shit to do!" He stalked across the room, kicking at the rotting door once more. Hoodie's concealed eyes followed him. He frowned under his mask when Jeff rattled the locked doorknob again. The Proxy sighed and folded his arms across his chest, leaning against the soggy wall, feeling the chipped and peeling wallpaper stick to his back. He cringed and stepped away from the wall to brush at his clothes, attracting the attention of Jeff. His unblinking eyes were now trained on his watcher and Hoodie could not help but look away from Jeff's glare. The psychopath had always unsettled Hoodie, and being locked in a room with him whilst the Master disciplined Toby and Masky was not something he particularly enjoyed. Jeff's "patience" snapped.

"Would you fuckin' _say_ something already, freak?"

Hoodie raised his head to stare at Jeff, meeting his gaze as his eyes narrowed behind his mask. He folded his arms again and held Jeff's gaze for another few long seconds before speaking.

"Because for reasons unbeknownst to me, our Operator has taken an interest in you. Be it he feels like you are attracting too much unwanted attention, or the highly unlikely possibility that he wants to recruit you as a Proxy, I do not know."

Jeff sneered.

"Like I'd ever fuckin' want to join your fag orgy," he leered at Hoodie and the Proxy tensed, clenching his gloved fists. This action didn't go unnoticed by Jeff and he sneered again, his sliced mouth twisting to expose his gums even more than they normally were.

"Aw, is the widdle queer upset? Does he want good ol' Jeff to blow his shrimp dick and make it all better?" He cackled manically, and Hoodie took a step forward. Jeff bared his teeth in a grin at him.

"Y'know, you should really smile more, faggot. If I had my knives I could make you just as beautiful as me!" He continued, gesturing to his face as the hooded Proxy stalked closer to him. Hoodie's hand shot out and he fisted Jeff's bloodstained sweater in his hand, yanking the smaller killer up to his level. The bastard was still smirking. Why the fuck was he so damn confident?

"Look guy, I know I'm sexy as hell but I'm not a fucking fag, so let go, unless you wanna go to sleep just like my family did," he jeered up at him, his black eyes filled with amusement along with the usual insanity. Hoodie scowled behind his mask and he raised a fist, but then paused for a moment. If the Master found the two fighting, there was no doubt in Hoodie's mind that they would be joining Toby and Masky in punishments. Hoodie dropped Jeff to the ground and he landed with a loud thump. He groaned and glared up at Hoodie, his mouth twisting in anger as his teeth ground together.

"Why you little-"

The walkie-talkie hanging on Hoodie's belt erupted into bursts of static, and they both froze. Hoodie instantly reached down to yank Jeff to his feet, and the killer scowled at him ferociously as Slenderman appeared in the room, gripping the arms of his exhausted-looking Proxies. Hoodie cringed inwardly at Masky's appearance. His clothes were bloody and torn, and the exposed skin underneath was covered in rapidly blossoming bruises and cuts. Hoodie pursed his lips and kept his thoughts guarded. Why would Slenderman be so harsh on them, when it was rumoured that he was gathering everyone for a war against some pesky Guilds?

Slenderman moved his faceless head in Hoodie's direction and he tensed up. Although he did not have a face, it felt as though he was staring directly at him. Hoodie felt a chill run down his spine and he resisted the urge to shiver. Was he unsuccessful in shielding his thoughts? Did Slenderman somehow hear him? But how? The creature's own brother, known as Offender, had taught him how to protect his mind. Had Slenderman's own blood misled his family's Proxy?

 _"Tend to Toby's wounds, Hoodie."_ The Master's words in his head instantly relaxed him. What had he been so worried about? The Master was his saviour, his salvation. He was all that mattered in the world, and all His plans were always for the greater good. He would never do anything to harm Hoodie and his Proxies without good reason. His Will was their own, and everything He did was right.

Hoodie felt a wide smile stretch across his face as his Master spoke to him. He was delighted that He had chosen Hoodie to grace His blessed words with, had decided to bestow His attention unto the unworthy Proxy. He adored the Master, because the Master was God.

He moved forward as soon as His words reached his mind, arms outstretched towards Toby. The Master released His grip on Toby's upper arm and the twitching Proxy collapsed into Hoodie's arms. He could feel Masky's eyes on him, and he turned to look at his SoulMate. Masky was limp in the Master's grip, all his strength seemed to have been sapped from him. This made Hoodie happy. The Master had chosen his SoulMate to discipline, to grant pain upon Masky in order to teach him His Will; He had taken the time out of His precious work to thoroughly show Masky why he should behave correctly, reminding him again and again as to what His Will was and how He wanted Masky to carry it out. Hoodie chuckled as he lifted Toby's prone body into his arms. The Proxy was so still, the Master must have been so lenient on him. His Master stepped back and Jeff stepped forward, startling Hoodie as he almost dropped Toby.

"Hey! What the fuck about me, huh!?" He snarled, and Hoodie felt rage course through his veins. How dare he speak to his Master like that? His lips twisted up into an angry snarl and he stepped forward to grab the insolent child.

 _"Have patience, boy. Your time will come."_ The Master's voice reached Hoodie's ears and he stopped, feeling joy rush through him again. His Master had spoken twice! He had chosen to allow Hoodie to hear His blessed voice _twice_ in a matter of minutes! What had His Proxy done to deserve such a fantastic occurrence?

Jeff scowled and crossed his arms. "At least let me outta this goddamned room! If I wasn't already, I'd have gone fuckin' crazy by now! I ain't just some pretty face that you can _lock up_ for display!" He protested fiercely, waving his bleached hands around. Hoodie's arms were beginning to ache from the weight of Toby. He shifted him in his hold slightly, adjusting him until he held him in a bridal fashion. The Master chose not to reply and disappeared, leaving only one piece of paper. Hoodie stared at it as Jeff turned to him and raised his arms in exasperation.

"Is he fuckin' serious?! Would it kill him to be any less confusing?" He hissed as he stalked over and snatched the paper up from the filthy floorboards, staring at it as Hoodie walked over to the couch in the room and set Toby down. He didn't stir. Hoodie's shoes scuffed against the ground as he made his way back to Jeff and held his hand out to inspect the paper. Jeff sneered at him and shoved the page into his hand, crumpling it, much to his dismay. He made a sound of protest in the back of his throat, much to Jeff's amusement as he began cackling.

"Aww, did the queer lose his cheer?" His obnoxious laughing was beginning to ring in Hoodie's ears as his temper began to flare. He smoothed out the paper and scanned over it. Hoodie frowned behind his mask.

All it said was: **Erase the Dragon. The Daemon's water flows within it.**

Their eyes were drawn to Toby as Hoodie lowered the paper. Jeff frowned. "The fuck does that mean? 'Erase the Dragon, the daemon's water flows within it.' The fuck?" He exclaimed, staring at Hoodie. He chewed on his lip as he reread the words scratched messily onto the paper. The ink was smudged all over the page, and the writing was barely distinguishable. Was this written with the Master's hand?

Hoodie sighed and folded the paper carefully, placing it inside his pocket as he turned and walked back to where Toby lay. He knelt down on the floor and reached under the moth-eaten couch to pull out the first aid kit. He sat on his haunches and placed it on the space next to Toby's body before opening it. He glanced up to Toby and frowned. He pulled his hood down and ignored Jeff's exaggerated shrieks of shock as he placed the kit on the floor again and shifted to reach for Toby's shirt. A pale hand shot out and gripped Hoodie's wrist in a vice-like hold, making the Proxy suck in a surprised breath. Hoodie looked up to see Toby's brown eyes narrowed dangerously at him, his lips pressed into a firm line as he glared at Hoodie's mask.

"What are you doing." His voice was free of stutters, and Hoodie felt a chill go down his spine again, ruining the warm feeling that the Master had given him when He had spoken. Hoodie shifted and tugged his wrist away. Toby allowed him to and sat up slowly despite Hoodie's protests. The Proxy twitched and rubbed his eyes before glancing down at Hoodie, his eyes still cold and annoyed as the Proxy reached for his arm. He smacked it away harshly and whipped his head around when Jeff cackled.

"Looks like Ticcy is being tricky!" He sniggered. Toby glared at him until he twitched, and then twisted back around to scowl at Hoodie.

"G-get up alread-dy." He snapped, swinging his legs over the side of the couch so that he could sit up properly. He rested his elbows on his knees and blew at his hair flopping into his eyes. Without his goggles and facemask, he actually was a very handsome man. The twenty-five year old moved to stand but Hoodie's firm grip on his arm tugged him back down. He made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat and jerked away from Hoodie, scowling at him.

"Don't fucking t-touch m-me!"  He snarled, anger blazing in his dark eyes as Hoodie knelt between his legs. He shook his head.

"Master asked me to tend to your wounds." He said simply before reaching for the first aid kit, which had been kicked away when Toby's feet hit the floor. The Proxy's neck cracked and he wriggled on the couch uncomfortably.

"'M fine. Don't need patching up, it isn't like I feel pain." His eyes bore into Hoodie's mask and the Proxy sighed.

"Toby, regardless if you feel pain or not, your body is losing too much blood. You need to receive medical help or you will die." He said simply as he reached for the hem of Toby's shirt, pulling it up over his head. Hoodie paused only for a moment to regard the twitching man's injuries before turning and grabbing the rubbing alcohol from the first aid kit. While Toby could not feel pain, he could feel dizziness and exhaustion, which the Master always used for his punishment. He would drain Toby of too much blood but not enough to knock the Proxy out. Hoodie gestured for Toby to turn around and he sighed before turning to face the back of the couch, crossing his legs and folding his arms as his back was exposed to the chilly air. Goosebumps raised on Toby's skin as the rubbing alcohol touched the gashes on his back, and the Proxy's biceps tensed as he heard footsteps outside the door to the room. Jeff turned around to face the door as the lock clicked and the door swung open, revealing a manically smiling Clockwork. The three males regarded her silently as she sauntered into the room, brandishing two knives. She zeroed in on Toby and her smile became impossibly wider.

"Well hello boys," she cooed as she walked towards the couch, brushing past Jeff. The killer turned to watch her for a moment before realising that the door was now unlocked. Toby felt a tug on his skin and knew that Hoodie was stitching him up.

"Don't even think about it, Jeff." His voice was slightly muffled and when Toby glanced over his shoulder he saw a needle sticking out of the now exposed mouth of Hoodie. He heard Jeff scowl and turned around to be met with the face of Clockwork, which was about two inches away from his. His only reaction was to narrow his eyes distrustfully at her as Jeff began to speak.

"So, Clockwork," he began. She barely hummed and continued invading Toby's personal space. His eyes narrowed even further as he saw the manic look of obsession in her eyes. Toby's hand twitched. What he wouldn't give to have his hatchets right now...

"What time is it?" Jeff sniggered and Toby had to stifle his own chuckle as Clockwork whipped around to face him, her expression twisted into a deep scowl as she stalked over to him, reaching for the knives on her belt.

"I know that your time is up," she sang as she raised the knife. Jeff never lost his grin as she plunged the knife down.

_Clang_

"Where in the h-hell did you get that kn-knife, Jeff?" Toby questioned as Jeff lowered his arm. He had used a kitchen knife to block Clockwork's attack, and he fondled the blade as he giggled.

"Swiped it from the bitch when she walked past." He sniggered as Clockwork let out an enraged yell, charging at him to reclaim her weapon. Toby rolled his eyes as the two began grappling for the knife. So childish.

"You're both acting l-like sp-spoiled brats. E-enough is e-nough, c-cut it out alr-ready." He scolded as they continued to fight. When they ignored him he growled in irritation. Hoodie's arms came around his torso, startling him as he began pulling bandages around his waist. Toby rolled his eyes and watched Jeff. As much as he hated the killer, he had to admire his close combat skills. He sighed and stood as soon as Hoodie tapped his shoulder. At 185cm, Toby towered over the other Proxy. He rubbed a hand over his bruised face, drawing the attention of Clockwork immediately. She dropped Jeff's wrist and ran over to the twitching man, giggling as she poked his side. He lowered his arm and looked down at her in aggravation. She didn't seem to notice his displeasure as she trailed her finger along his bicep, stopping just over Ryujin Kizuatojo's name. A deep scowl made its way across her face and everyone watched her silently. She slowly raised her head to meet Toby's eyes, a smile now widening. Toby watched her uneasily.

"Y'know, in a perfect world, this would be my name," her expression darkened and her smile turned more sinister as she gripped his muscled bicep tightly. Her grip on her knife tightened.

"We could still make that a reality. I'll cut this bitch's name from your arm, cut _my_ name from Midoriya and swap them! Easy!" She cackled as she raised the knife in one swift movement and plunged it down, right towards the name of Toby's SoulMate.

 

 

 

 


	7. The Dragon Triplets

_A small figure sat at the farthest corner of the carriage, her tiny arms crossed over her chest as she stared stubbornly out of the dark window. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy, and her lips were pursed into a scowl. A dark haired boy sat across from the small child, his blond SoulMate on his right. His curious eyes had yet to leave the younger girl's face, a fact which he knew made her uncomfortable, but he didn't really care._

_"I'm Sting." He blurted suddenly, causing Rogue's eyes to be pulled from the piece of paper in his hands and up to his companion's face. The young girl did not react to his words whatsoever, making Sting frown. He leaned over Rogue to wave his hands in her face. She snapped her head over to him and snarled fiercely, batting his hands away with her tiny ones. Sting grunted and stood up, catching her wrists and yanking her to her feet. The ten year old glared up at Sting hatefully, and his cheerful smile was now replaced by one that could stop a person dead in their tracks. Rogue watched the two interact curiously. The train lurched and he was thankful that the child had cast the **Troya** spell on the carriage before the train had begun moving. _

_Sting tightened his grip on her and scowled down at her. She returned his gaze equally. "Listen here kiddo, when someone talks to you in our Guild, unless they aren't as strong as you, **you answer them**." He hissed, baring his teeth at the girl whom Rogue recalled to be named Ryujin. The Shadow Dragon Slayer tilted his head as he watched the exchange._

_Ryujin glared up at Sting, baring her own tiny fangs at the teenager. "It is apparent that you don't understand your own words. Why would I answer someone weaker than me?" She smiled sweetly, the expression lighting up her face. She would grow up to be a truly beautiful lady; if only she would smile more._

_Sting growled and grabbed her shirt in his fist, yanking her up to his level. Her feet were now off the ground and Rogue felt a spike of alarm run through him._

_"Sting, she is only a child. Please calm yourself and take a moment to recollect your emotions." He spoke sternly, standing up and placing a hand on the agitated blond's shoulder. Sting had fallen silent, and it took Rogue only a moment to understand why he was so quiet. The brand just below her neck was an obvious sign that she had grown up in some sort of child ring._

_"Go away! I want to go home!" She cried out, pulling her legs up to her chest and pulling her shirt over them, shielding her body as she curled into herself in the seat. Rogue frowned and exchanged concerned looks with Sting. The Fairy Tail insignia became exposed to them, branded on her left shoulder in black. Her shirt was long sleeved even though she wore shorts, and the fabric had been stretched and pulled down her arms when she pulled it over her legs. Rogue motioned to her as her quiet whines reached their ears and Sting rolled his eyes before nodding. The White Dragon Slayer sat down next to Ryujin and hesitantly reached out to pat her arm. The girl tensed upon the contact, but he chose not to pull his hand away._

_"Listen kiddo. You **are** going home. Sabertooth is gonna be your Guild when we get to Akane Beach. Your so-called 'Master' sold you to us. You belong to Sabertooth now, and you can't do anything about it. Suck it up, because Master Jiemma hates criers. You should feel honoured that you were asked for, nobody has ever had that kind of luxury when joining. We all had to prove our strength to join, but you get the free ride. I can't understand why the hell he wants a brat like you to join in the first place, but if he sees that brand, you're screwed. Keep it covered and tell nobody and you **might** survive there."  When Ryujin looked up from her arms his eyes sliced into hers. She watched him warily but her gaze was torn from him when a small creature jumped onto her lap. She jumped slightly and looked down to the tiny bundle. A pained look flashed through her eyes as Frosch sat in her lap, looking up to her and giggling._

_"What magic do you use?" He chirped, and the girl's gaze grew steely. She crossed her arms around the Exceed and glared stubbornly out of the window again, making Frosch frown. A warning growl rumbled in Rogue's chest and she looked quickly over to him, eyes narrowing in suspicion at the Slayer as he glared at her._

_"While I understand that you are unwilling to talk to us, I will not allow you to be rude to the Exceeds, especially Frosch. At least be decent enough to give him an answer."_

_Ryujin averted her eyes again, chewing her lip with sharp canines. She remained silent, much to Rogue's irritation, for a full minute before speaking, seeming to startle even herself._

_"I was raised to be a Dragon Slayer, but I can use every type of magic that has ever been created, including curses." She mumbled, which earned surprised gasps from the Twin Dragons. The ten year old looked up and saw them staring at her in absolute bewilderment. Then, Sting's eyes narrowed._

_"What kinda crap are you tryin' to pull over our eyes?" He barked, making her jump and watch him with wide eyes. Her lips parted in astonishment as she watched him in shock. He was tense, and his hands were clenched into fists. Rogue's eyes burned the side of her face and she shifted in her seat, subconsciously tightening her grip on Frosch. Sting's eyes were full of distrust and disappointment as he stared at her._

_"I know that me and Rogue are pretty famous, but trying to fake your magic just to impress us? Not happening. Now, if you lie to us again we'll have no choice but to punish you." Ryujin narrowed her eyes at the blond._

_"You think I'm lying to you?"_

_Sting scoffed. "Obviously. Never mind the fact of trying to impress us, if you really were a Dragon Slayer, then where's your Exceed?" His mouth curled up into an arrogant grin, and Ryujin's eyes sharpened, then narrowed dangerously at him. Her jaw clenched and her hands curled into tight fists as she stared angrily at him._

_"He's dead." The statement wiped the smirk clean from Sting's face and Rogue's back straightened as he stiffened in surprise, his eyes widening a fraction. Frosch frowned up at her and wriggled free of her grip to climb her shoulder, cuddling into her face and making the girl flinch in surprise. Her eyes flicked uncertainly at the Exceed and her mouth twisted into a frown. She cringed away after a moment, her sudden movement startling Frosch who squeaked and tumbled from her shoulder. Rogue shot out of his seat, but as soon as he reached for Frosch, Ryujin's arms were outstretched, cradling the Exceed carefully, as if he were a baby. She frowned down at Frosch when he started giggling. He wriggled around and waved his paws in the air at her._

_"You're definitely a Dragon Slayer!" He chirped, "You three should be the Dragon Slayer Triplets!"_

-

Ryujin blinked sleepily, the light from the torch flooding into her sight and making her rub her eyes blearily as her eyes stung. She breathed in deeply and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Rogue's gentle snores filled her ears, and she looked up to see an exhausted-looking Sting curled around his SoulMate. Gajeel laid to her right, and she realised she had been using his lap as a pillow. She stretched and yawned, rubbing her eyes again as she looked over to Rogue. His face was peaceful and no longer pained, and she was glad. The shadowy substance had fought to stay within Rogue, and it had almost killed Gajeel and the Shadow Dragon Slayer in extracting it. She herself was tired, but she knew that she had to investigate the forest as well as the substance that bubbled and oozed in the jar that laid next to her. She had placed every sealing spell and curse she could think of on the glass, but even now she was uneasy looking at it. She chewed on her lip and stood slowly after picking up the jar carefully. She knew that she should go to her father and ask, but she was not in the mood to put up with his abuse in her weakened state. She sighed and walked over quietly to Rogue. She leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to his temple before drawing away. The pain that had filled his face not too long ago was long gone, and now as he slept contentedly, it was hard to believe that he was ever in such agony. She felt a burning begin in her throat and she narrowed her eyes before jerking away, hastily leaving the room as silently as possible. She leaned on the wall outside as she began coughing into her hand, feeling as though she was about to suffocate from the amount of pressure in her chest and throat. She pulled her hand from her mouth when the fit ceased and stiffened when she saw black liquid crawling over her fingers. She gritted her teeth and turned to spit out of the nearby window, wiping her mouth in disgust as she strode down the hallway, to the stairs that led outside.

She and the Underworld King needed to talk.

-

Mard Geer was sneering when Ryujin summoned him in the forest. She was sitting on the ground with her legs crossed, leaning against the stone wall to the rear of the castle for support. She rolled down her left sleeve after summoning him and gave him an unimpressed look as he crossed his arms and lifted his lip into an arrogant leer at her. She said nothing, instead she held out the jar and waited for him to take it. As he reached for it, the black liquid reacted violently, thrashing around in its container and pressing as close to his fingers as he could. Aside from a slight raise of his eyebrows he didn't give any other sign of a reaction. As he held the glass he inspected it intently, pursing his lips as he tilted the jar in different angles. He was unusually silent, something which unnerved Ryujin. She furrowed her eyebrows and folded her arms across her chest. The muscles in her lean biceps bulged under the materials of her coat and shirt, and when she shifted again Mard Geer's eyes were drawn to her. His Master's eyes were trained on the forest intently. Her entire body was tense, her facial expression grave as her blank eyes peered at the treelines. When he spoke, she almost jumped, and turned to him too quickly for someone who should be relaxed. Mard Geer curled his lip in a sneer again as he looked at her, making her scowl at him.

"Why are you so afraid, child? Don't you know I will not allow any harm to come to you?" He drawled, earning himself a fierce glare from his Master. He chuckled eerily and went back to inspecting the jar. After a few long moment of silence Ryujin shifted again, and when Mard Geer turned to glare at her, he was met with the sight of his Master fiddling with Summoning papers. He scowled at her, drawing her attention to him once again.

"I cannot understand why you are so uneasy. Do you really think that those scum would dare approach  you whilst I am present? Even for humans, they cannot be that stupid." He scoffed, watching her with obvious irritation. She did not reply, only looking at him blankly. The quiet chatter of people within the castle courtyards seemed muffled as the two stared at each other. Ryujin frowned at him and shook her head.

"They're not all human," She said simply, gauging his reaction. He furrowed his eyebrows at her and then sneered.

"Are you really telling me, Mistress, that there are _demons_ within this group?" He sneered, his indignation clear in his tone as he chuckled.

"I am Mard Geer, the Underworld King. No full-blooded demon could ever overpower me." He cackled, his arrogance practically radiating off him as Ryujin stared at him impassively.

"Yet a half demon was able to defeat you?" She smirked, standing up and brushing her trench coat off. Mard Geer's laughing ceased and he narrowed his eyes at her. His lip curled and his hands twitched, and Ryujin knew he was itching to strike her. She narrowed her eyes, daring him to try it. He scoffed and looked away, glaring at the trees. His childish expression of annoyance morphed into one of slight confusement as he pursed his lips. Aeron didn't take notice of this as she began pressing him for answers.

"Well? What can you tell me about this stuff? It was pulled from me and consumed by Rogue, and this was just extracted from him an hour ago. Do you have any idea as to what it is, and how we can get rid of it?" When he didn't reply, she frowned and stepped closer to him, reaching out to touch his arm. A low growl made her still, and she turned towards the forest, an incredulous look on her face as she moved to stand next to Mard Geer.

"Tch. You were saying?" She scoffed as a large animal appeared, slinking from the shadows of the trees. The stench of blood hit her before it fully revealed itself, making Ryujin tense up again. The animal raised its head, and she realised it was a dog. It opened its mouth and Mard Geer scoffed. Its human teeth made it look like it was grinning at her, and she narrowed her eyes as an inhumane cackle reached her ears. The dog was laughing, the noise gargled and warped in its throat. Ryujin sighed as it took a step towards them. Mard Geer tucked the jar carefully inside his cloak as he turned fully towards the dog. Its fur looked sticky and matted with something dark, and its hackles were raised in clumps of hair. She moved to intercept the animal as it took another step towards them. It snarled fiercely, and as Ryujin stared at Smile Dog, a loud rip of static tore through the air. Her hearing was extremely sensitive, and even though she had heard it before, she couldn't help but clap her hands over her ears as she gritted her teeth. The sound was unbearably loud, and it seemed to be increasing in volume. The dog was barely affected, which either meant that Ryujin's hearing was more sensitive than a demon dog's, or that the canine was immune to the noise. A hand clapped down onto her shoulder, and she turned slightly to look at Mard Geer. He looked utterly bewildered, and when she saw the look of shock on her own face reflected in her eyes she was snapped out of her state as she whirled around to see the dog bolting towards them. She narrowed her eyes and a flame wrapped around her wrist before hardening into a solid, which glinted in the evening sun and casting light onto the wall and trees around them.

"The tall one is mine, take care of the dog!" She snapped as she took off, running straight towards the dog's foaming jaws. She leaped over it and as soon as a large figure came into view, she raised her fist.

 **"Sapphire Dragon: Gauntlet!"** Her fist collided with Slenderman's midsection, earning a pained cry as the creature stumbled back, her fist tearing straight through his middle and pinning him to a nearby tree. Her hand went through the tree and she grunted, yanking her hand back as the effects of her spell began to take place. The sapphire from her fist had latched onto Slenderman and began rapidly spreading over his body from the point of entrance, immobilizing him as he began struggling. Upon hearing Mard Geer's cry from behind her she whirled around to come face to face with a girl. Her one gleaming eye glinted at her, and she giggled manically as the clock in her eye ticked incessantly.  Ryujin glanced at Clockwork's eye more intently. Six thirty-three. Good to know.

As the Slayer drew breath, Clockwork raised a wickedly sharp knife and brought it down swiftly before Ryujin could even react. Hearing Mard Geer's yell, she realised that one of Slenderman's tentacle-like limbs had wrapped around her and trapped her. She gritted her teeth and struggled as she watched the weapon come down towards her with narrowed eyes.

 **"White Dragon's: Claw!"** Clockwork was knocked out of the way as a white light forcefully collided with her side. She let out an enraged screech as she crashed into a nearby tree, and Ryujin did not have the time to blink before the tentacle wrapped tightly around her waist was slashed to shreds and she was yanked into something warm and solid. The familiar smell of caramel and cinnamon filled her nose. Sting.

She heard him growl fiercely as he pulled Ryujin further back, wrapping her in his embrace as he stepped away from Slenderman. When she looked up, his face was twisted into one of pure fury as he snarled. His pupils were reduced to slits as his lips curled up over his teeth, baring his fangs at the creature. His eyes were narrowed dangerously, and the tautness of his body told her that Sting was absolutely livid. She didn't blame him. Dragons were extremely territorial and protective of their nest, and when one of their clan was threatened, there would be hell to pay.

Ryujin glanced over to Clockwork's immobile form lying on the ground a few dozen feet away, glaring at them in fury as the Slayer stared her down. Her attention was brought back to Sting when he began speaking, but even someone like his sister, whom had known him for over nine years, could barely make out what he was saying over the growls ripping through his throat as he talked.

"So you're the bastard who attacked my little sister." He spat as he pulled Ryujin behind him. She allowed him to, knowing that if she resisted Slenderman and Clockwork would think that Sting was weak. As she stared at his broad back, she was reminded of Mard Geer and Smile Dog, and as she turned around to check on them she was met with the sight of her demon gripping the canine by the scruff of its neck, using only the tips of his thumb and index finger to do so as it wriggled and snapped its foaming jaws, trying to break free.

Ryujin was so close to Sting that she could feel the rumbling of his chest when he growled, and she turned back around after signalling to Mard Geer to approach them carefully. The muscles in Sting's exposed biceps were taut like a bowstring, his shoulders squared and his head slightly tilted up towards the struggling Slenderman. Veins protruded from the side of his neck and Ryujin knew that if she could see his face, they would be showing on his temple as well. She stepped out slightly to look at Slenderman, and as the siblings, poised for battle, watched his sister's spell spread even further to his neck and arms, he began laughing.

They tensed when his chuckle, low and guttural, reached their ears, and Sting snarled, actually snarled, at him.

"What the hell is so funny, you bastard?" He scowled, absently reaching an arm out to block Ryujin from coming any closer. It was an action that he had picked up from years of serving under Jiemma, and one he only used when he felt that she was truly in danger. She looked at him strangely but he refused to look away from the blank canvas where Slenderman's face should have been. She knew that Sting was uneasy about the Creepypasta, but why was he shielding her now, when it was impossible for the tall demon to escape?

A swift movement to left startled them both, and she was faster than Sting in reacting.

"Duck!" She yelled as she jumped forward, reaching up and pushing Sting's head down to the ground as she raised her forearm to block the blow, her arm instantly turning to iron. The sound of metal hitting against metal rang out through the castle and forest, and as Ryujin's gaze pierced Masky, she lifted her lip into a snarl. She flung her arm out and sent Masky sailing into the air, landing heavily on his feet. He slipped and used a hand to balance himself as he landed, his head snapping up to look at her. Sting let out a guttural yell and that was all the warning Ryujin received before one of Slenderman's tentacles snaked out and latched itself onto her exposed thigh. She hissed as it stung, and with a sinking feeling recognised the sensation.

He was draining her magic power.

She let out an enraged roar and kicked out, but only ended up tangling herself further in his web of darkness. He shouldn't be able to move. She made sure to hit the point where his tentacles protruded when she pinned him, why was he still moving?

She raised her hand and clenched it into a fist as Sting appeared in front of her, shielding her from another blow from the crowbar. She let out a strangled yelp as she smelled Sting's fresh blood, but her attention was drawn back to Slenderman as the advanced secret of her spell made itself known. The sapphire around Slenderman's body began constricting, crushing him slowly.

"Underworld King!" She snapped as another tentacle wrapped around her wrist. She had sensed his movement behind her, and was warning him to back off. She could feel a minute amount of her power being drained from her, but it barely affected her at all as she used her raw strength to pull her wrist to her mouth and sink her teeth into the tentacle. Slenderman, even though he had no mouth, let out a roar as his limb was sliced cleanly through. Ryujin instantly recognised the taste of an old daemon's blood and swallowed the flesh, feeling the strange power ripple through her. When she glanced down she saw her veins pulsing with a dark colour, and she snarled fiercely. She held her arm out and glanced to the side to see Sting exchanging blows with both Masky and now Hoodie as well. He blocked and delivered hits expertly, and Ryujin knew every move he would make even before he made it. She knew her brother like the back of her hand, had memorized the routines he used in battle down to the last detail. When he faked a left hook, he swiped his leg up, crashing it into Hoodie's stomach with a hard blow, making the Proxy double over and let out a gasp of air. Blood trickled down from behind his mask, and as Sting's knee was still lodged into Hoodie's midsection, he straightened up and raised his left arm to grab Masky's crowbar as it swung down to land a blow onto his face. With his right hand, he reached out and grabbed Masky's collar and brought him down to head-butt him hard, pulling him off his feet and flinging him overhead as Hoodie was sent flying back from the intensity of Sting's kick. He didn't need to warn Ryujin as she morphed her arm into iron once again, and grabbed the scruff of Masky's neck as he soared over her. Her arm sparked with a dull light and she grinned sadistically.

 **"Shockwave!"** As her spell raced down her arm and to her hands, she swung Masky over her shoulder and slammed his head into the ground, directly into where the tentacle wrapped around her ankle was. He let out a garbled cry as his mask shattered, and the ground beneath his body opened up as he was used as a conductor for the spell. His body spasmed at the sheer intensity of the spell, and as Ryujin broke free, she looked up to Slenderman from where she was leaning over Masky. She bared her teeth in a feral grin as she lunged up, using Masky's body as a launch pad as she aimed her fist to Slenderman's blank face. He let out a shrill shriek and she cringed, her aim faltering as she suffered the full force of the sound. The noise tore through her eardrums and she gritted out a pained sound in the back of her throat. Her fist collided with the tree, missing the creature's face by a hair's breadth. The tree splintered under the sheer force of her bare hand and it shattered completely, freeing him from his constraints. Ryujin's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and fury as her lip curled over her teeth. Slenderman reached up and slammed his hand into her abdomen, but hissed and withdrew it as she quickly hardened her skin, the sound of flesh hitting metal ringing in her already bleeding ears. She narrowed her eyes and reached down to grip his abnormally long arm with both hands, using the disintegrating tree as a footing as she launched herself forward again, gripping his arm tightly as she landed on the ground, the earth beneath her feet shattering under the sheer force as she swung Slenderman over her shouler, sending him crashing into the ground as she let out a grunt. Slenderman let out a screech as he hit the ground, and the two Proxies reacted. Hoodie struggled more violently from underneath Sting, and Masky stirred very weakly from the dent he made in the ground. Slenderman suddenly fell still, and Ryujin slowed her movements, stalking over to his head very cautiousy. He suddenly moved, swiping her feet out from under her in one fluid motion. She let out a surprised breath as she crashed into the ground. She heard Sting yell her name in alarm and she scrambled up, growling angrily. She paused when she drew to her full height, and her brow knitted together as she surveyed the scene. Slenderman, Clockwork, Hoodie, Masky, Smile Dog and even Mard Geer had completely vanished. Ryujin yanked her sleeve on her right arm up, scanning the marked skin for the Underworld King's name. The area of skin where his name resided was blank, which meant that he was still in their world. She gritted her teeth and an infuriated scoff blew through her teeth.

**"Forced Summons: Mard Geer!"**

Her skin burned as a white flash appeared before their eyes, and Mard Geer's name appeared on her arm once again. She hissed at the sizzling sensation and frowned. Forced Summons was never as painful as this; what was going on? Ryujin began walking over to Sting, still keeping her sleeve rolled up as she approached him. His head raised when she was a few feet away and he rose from his kneeling position as she stood in front of him, wincing and clutching his forearm. He peered down at her inquisitively, and his look of confusion remained the same as she presented her marked skin to him.

"What colour is Mard Geer's name?" She questioned, pointing to where his name was on her forearm. The White Dragon Slayer craned his neck forward to look at where she was pointing, and he frowned before straightening up.

"It's red." He told her, and she felt her blood run cold. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a breath. If a spirit or demon's name ever turned red, it meant that they were severely traumatised. She sighed and traced over the demon's name, chanting softly. She presented her arm to her sibling again and he tilted his head again, pursing his lips as he glanced over the demon's name again. Sting absolutely despised Mard Geer, and protested furiously when Ryujin told him and Rogue that she had bound him in a contract with her. He was convinced that the demon would definitely turn on her and kill her when she least expected it, despite the sister's assurances that a demon written on her body could do her no harm without feeling the damage of their inflicted blows themselves.

"Black." He said shortly, wincing as he shifted. Ryujin sighed and rolled her sleeve back down and fastening the buttons. She then pulled down the coat sleeve and adjusted it over the shirt sleeve as she looked to Sting's arm. She frowned when she saw bruising and blood trickling down his arm, and it was obvious that he had broken his wrist by the angle it was sticking out. She chewed on her lip as she reached out and gently took his hand in her own, a glow emitting from them as she began healing him. She first sealed the gashes in his arm and reduced the bruising before turning her attention to his wrist. She gingerly pulled off his shredded glove, wincing when he hissed and apologised quietly. His wrist was beginning to swell rapidly and she frowned before raising her face to look at her sibling.

"I'm going to have to reset it. This will hurt like hell, but it will be easy after that to reduce the swelling and prevent any further nerve damage." She told him, and he grimaced. She gave him a sympathetic look as she guided him to a nearby tree stump, sitting him down and kneeling in between his legs before reaching for his hand again. She grasped his other hand and placed it on her shoulder before tilting his head so that he was looking away from her and towards the deeper part of the forest.

"Keep an eye out for any unwanted visitors," she murmured as she gently prodded at his wrist, feeling for the broken bone. When he let out a sharp hiss and his hand gripped her shoulder tightly she knew she had found it. She glanced up to his face to check that he wasn't looking and began emitting chills from her hand to try and numb his wrist slightly.

"Sting, why are you so afraid of Slenderman?" She enquired, preparing to reset the bone as she spoke. She felt Sting's thighs tense around her and she moved quickly, snapping the bone back into place and reaching out to hold Sting down as he let out a yelp and almost crushed her shoulder in his grip.

"Huh? What're you talkin' abo- _oh fuck!_ " He yelped as the bone moved, a strong grimace evident across his face as he tried to pull away from Ryujin. She gripped his uninjured elbow tightly and looked up at him sternly. His eyes were full of discomfort and shock as he returned her stare.

"Stay still." She reprimanded, and his struggles ceased, but he frowned at her. She bowed her head and cupped her hands around Sting's swollen wrist, quickly forming ice along her fingers and holding his joint firmly, numbing any pain he felt further. She then got to work on actually healing the bone itself, and knew that Sting would be fine. Her fingertips began to glow again as she passed calcium through his skin, burrowing deep into him as they attached themselves to his bone and began pulling it back together and patching it up. Sting shuddred and tightened his hold on Ryujin, and she gritted her teeth when she felt something snap. Sting sucked in a breath and he jerked his hand away, making sure not to startle her or move her hands from his wrist. She glanced up at him disinterestedly, frowning blankly as he gushed his apologies.

"I'm sorry! Oh god, I'm sorry, you know sometimes I don't know my own strength and-" Ryujin rolled her eyes and went back to her work, humming as Sting continued to babble on. She tuned him out as time went on, and in the next few minutes she released his hand and sat back on her haunches, lifting his hand and checking for any more swelling. When she found none, she realised that he was still apologising, and whilst her shoulder was screaming in pain, she ignored it and looked up to his frantic face.

"Bend your hand back as far as you can and flex your fingers." She interrupted his chatter, making him fall silent as he stared down at her. She raised her eyebrows at him in disinterest and he nodded, bending his hand back and forth easily and curling and uncurling his fingers effortlessly. She watched his movement attentively, taking his hand in hers once again and probing the muscles in his wrist, bending it in different angles and turning it in certain ways before letting him go again. She leaned back once more and held up her own hand.

"Can you do this?" She touched each of her fingers to her thumb, and watched as he copied her movements with ease. She moved her hand from side to side, imitating what one would do when shaking a bottle.

"How about this?" She didn't miss Sting's snicker and she shot him an incredulous look. He bit the top of his lip to stifle his laughter and she rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm so glad that I amuse you." She said sarcastically, her eyes hooded as she slapped his thigh. He yelped and bit his tongue.

"Focus, you pervert." She scowled, and Sting, despite his guilt at hurting his baby sister, couldn't help from chuckling. He copied Ryujin's movements, making sure to twist his hand and loosen his grip at certain points, making her flush and stutter. He burst out laughing and she smacked his thigh hard, making him choke on his breath as he winced and jerked away from her, still laughing as she swatted at him repeatedly. He tried pushing her away, but when his hand shot out and struck her on her injured shoulder, her movements ceased and she gritted her teeth to stifle her groan as the pain shot through her, sending sparks of pain down her arm. Sting's smile faltered but Ryujin growled playfully at him, launching herself up so that she knocked him back. As she sat on his knees, he looked up at her in amusement. A rare smile stretched across her face as she narrowed her eyes at him, but her smile was short-lived as the pain twinged in her shoulder. Sting's smile faded and he sat up, wrapping an arm around her lower back to support her as her hand moved to grip her shoulder gingerly. His face was so close to hers that she could feel his warm breath fanning across her cheeks. His brows were furrowed in concern and when Ryujin looked up she could see all the different shades of his eyes. She knew that his eyes were blue, but the colour itself was completely alien. She frowned as she studied his eyes. The gray was lighter around his slitted pupils, and deepened into a darker one as it spread out. Flecks of a different shades of grey were spread throughout his eyes, seeming to be hidden beneath layers of different shades, all coming together to form one beautiful colour. Ryujin knew what colour her eyes were, what shade of skin she had, knew what tone her hair was. But she didn't know the colours themselves. Whenever she looked at a person, all she could see was black and white. She knew that when she met her SoulMate, everything would bloom, but she couldn't help but feel impatient. Any time she used her original power, everyone marvelled at the sight, at the beauty of her destructive power. She hated it when people did that. She was unable to see her own beauty, her own power, and she resented it more than anything.

The young Slayer sighed and closed her eyes, resting her forehead against Sting's. He hummed and rubbed her back soothingly, sensing his sister's internal turmoil. She chewed on her lip and suddenly tensed, her hands flying up to push him away, but she froze and grunted as her shoulder screamed in protest. Sting instantly stood, helping her up. She pulled away from his touch from old habit, remembering the blows that he was forced to deal her as punishment for Jiemma, and he hated that his sister bore scars done by his own hand. As Ryujin stood, he couldn't help but stare at the marks that Slenderman had left on her. Large, angry welts that were blistering and leaking blood were wrapped around her thigh and wrist. Her ankle had been protected by her boot, but the leather was burnt and blackened. Sting frowned at the markings and reached out slowly. Ryujin watched him from behind her hair, her expression guarded. She trusted Sting and Rogue with her life, but sometimes she couldn't help but recall the past abuse she endured as a child, and it was hard not to shy away from the hand that fed her. Sting smiled patiently at her and she looked away, still clutching her shoulder.

"Let's go back inside, we need to write a report on this." Sting placed his hand on her uninjured shoulder before turning and walking towards the castle. Ryujin followed silently behind him, beginning to probe at her shoulder, pressing certain muscles to relax her shoulder before she began searching for the broken bone. Watching the muscles flex in Sting's broad back she knew that he was holding himself back when he broke the bone. If he had used even a fraction of his power he would have completely destroyed the bones, tendons and nerves in her shoulder. She winced silently as her fingers found the break and she began sending calcium cells through the skin, wincing at the unpleasant sensation. She didn't bother to use her magic to numb herself as she knew she could endure torture far worse than what she was doing currently. She chewed on her lip as she walked, and was taken completely by surprise when something flew out of the trees and landed heavily on her back. She let out a strangled gasp of surprise as she hit the ground and clenched her teeth as her shoulder, only half-healed, bounced off the ground. Sting whipped around and his snarl ripped through the air as he advanced towards the aggressor. The weight was lifted off her and Ryujin's hand moved back to her shoulder as she rolled onto her back. Sting had the attacker pinned by their throat to a tree, his snarls and growls echoing loudly through the area. The familiar scent hit her nose and she tried to sit up too quickly. The calcium cells tore open and the pain returned full force. She grunted and collapsed back to the ground, breathing heavily as she gritted her teeth. She could hear rapidly approaching footsteps and forced herself to sit upright before standing, the pain in her shoulder twinging again and again. She scoffed at herself. She could handle having her hand blown up by Jackal but she couldn't take a broken shoulder? She truly was pathetic. She began healing herself again as she watched Wendy grappling with Sting. The White Dragon Slayer was flung into the ground next to Ryujin and she had to stifle her laughter as Wendy dusted herself off. Instead she kept a blank face and allowed her eyes to lighten just slightly, greeting Wendy with a passive expression as Sting grumbled.

"Don't you know that you shouldn't sneak up on a dragon?" She scolded, raising a brow at the small girl, still holding her shoulder. Wendy's eyes were drawn to Ryujin's injured shoulder and she frowned.

"I was only saying hello. I didn't think Sting would attack me though," she offered a weak smile and a giggle. "What happened to your shoulder?" She questioned, reaching out to pry the taller girl's hand away. She stepped out of Wendy's reach smoothly, ignoring the startled look that flashed across her face. She lowered her hands.

"You don't want me to heal it?" She asked, surprise evident in her tone as she stared at Aeron in bewilderment. The taller girl shook her head tensely, not wanting to aggravate her shoulder any further.

"I've got it covered. Get back inside the castle, it isn't safe for you to be outside alone." She barked, leaning down and pulling Sting to his feet with the hand of her broken shoulder, resuming her emotionless state as the pain tore through her. She resisted the urge to cry out in pain, dragging Sting up and pushing him before gesturing to Wendy to go back inside. She was frowning deeply at Ryujin but chose not to say anything, not that she needed to. The Slayer knew that she wanted to scold her for putting so much pressure on her arm.

Ryujin had been through worse. She could deal with it.

 

 


	8. The Patrol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry I promise I'm not dead omg

**Whispers echoed through the room. They sounded muffled and quiet, as though the speakers were miles away. She felt groggy, and her body was heavy. Too heavy. Why couldn't she move? The whispers sounded excited, but she still couldn't make out what they were saying. Were they speaking another language?**

**She couldn't open her eyelids, but the feeling of being watched trailed down her spine. A strange humming was almost completely disguised by the whispering, but she could faintly make it out. What was that?**

**Suddenly the whispers decreased in volume, at the same time that the humming increased and became louder. It was ringing in her ears now, and she suddenly felt extremely exhausted. If this was a dream, then why was she... so...**

**Tired?**

**-**

Ryujin opened her eyes, emotions briefly flickering in them as she became aware of her surroundings. She blinked twice, then lifted her hand to reach above her, stretching into the air. She turned her hand so that her palm was now facing her, the familiar scarred skin moving as she curled her fingers into a fist. She frowned slightly, taking in the appearance of her hand. Up until the half of the middle of her forearm, the skin was slightly darker than the rest of her body. As the middle of her forearm was reached, the dark patches split out into jagged lines, forming diamonds of darker skin. She sighed and lowered her arm, allowing it to rest at her side. When she used Jackal's curses, her skin becomes scarred as it lights up just as his own arms would when detonating his power. However, the intensity of the curse meant that her skin became burned. She normally wore gloves, similar to Gajeel's except that they reached her elbows. The gloves' fingers reached halfway up her digits, and the metal plating over her knuckles was battered and scratched from use. A studded metal band wrapped around her arm, just below her elbow where the gloves ended. Seeing her bare arms was rare, and it unnerved her. Slowly, she sat up, the blankets twisting around her legs and pooling in her lap as she pulled her limbs towards her so that her knees were bent. She rested an elbow on one knee and placed the side of her face in her hand. She blew out a sigh and closed her eyes, her frown deepening as her eyes cracked open.

"A dream?" Ryujin's voice was quiet and hoarse from sleep, and as she swung her bare legs over the side of her bed, she leaned forward and rested her elbows on her thighs, allowing her hands to hang limply between her legs. She was now hunched over, the blankets wrapping around the tops of her thighs and bottom of her stomach. As she yawned, tears stung at her eyes. Her sharp teeth became exposed as she opened her mouth wide, a shiver running through her body as she became exposed to the chilly night air. She closed her eyes again as she dropped her head, running a hand through her hair as another yawn racked through her body. She wiped at her eyes as she stood slowly, the muscles in her back flexing under her scarred skin as she became fully exposed. A pair of baggy sweatpants adorned her legs, hanging so low on her hips that any religious person would faint at the sight. They had been rolled up several times so that the cuffs were at her ankles, the material practically swallowing her. They were Sting's, but she had 'borrowed' them one night when her clothes had been shredded to pieces after coming home from an S-Class mission. The material made swishing sounds as she padded over to the desk, her clean clothes draped over the chair. She rubbed at her eyes again before she untied the sweats and allowed them to slide down her muscly legs, stepping out of them. The cold night air hit her hard and she fought the urge to shiver as she reached for her shirt. The button-up was made of white linen and long-sleeved, the collar reaching just above her shoulders and exposing her prominent collarbones. She shrugged the shirt on and buttoned it quickly, her nimble fingers moving swiftly. She reached for her gloves before closing the cuffs of the shirt, slipping them on over her arms and flexing her calloused fingers several times before closing the buttons on the shirt sleeves. She reached for her trousers next. They were made of a special material which was resistant to fire, but were as comfortable as cotton. They were black and baggy until they reached just below the kneecap, where the material tightened so that it clung tightly to her legs, reaching all the way down to her ankles. The material there looked to be cotton as well, but were laced with a spell that Ryujin created which made the trousers ten times heavier than they should be. She had originally done this for training for her legs when she was younger, but the weight now was simply comforting now, a constant reminder of her strength. She had continually increased the weight of the trousers until they were almost the weight of a dragon itself, and she had not realised the strength of her legs until she had handed a pair to Yukino to hold while she changed, and Yukino had broken her foot by dropping them instantly. She was constantly aware of the fact that when she was riding one of her spirits that it put a great strain on them, but she viewed it as basic training for them.

Ryujin sighed and tugged the trousers up her legs, tucking her shirt into the waistline and slipping her metal belt through the loops before buckling it. The belt also had a spell on it so that her trousers weren't pulled down and thus made it easier for her to move around without having to worry about holding them up. She then picked up her folded waistcoat and slipped her arms through the holes, closing the three buttons and tugging at the bottom of it to straighten it out. It had sapphire sewn through the leather around its pockets, written in a language that few could ever translate. The waistcoat was laced with a spell that lessened any damage that Ryujin would have taken if she received a blow, and instead reflected the majority of the attack back to her opponent. She sat down on her bed and reached for the boots that sat next to the chair, reaching inside one and pulling out the rolled up socks and slipping them on underneath her trousers. She pulled one boot over her foot and pulled her leg up to her chest, lacing it up. They were clunky and black, with small heels which had blessed silver laced through it. The soles were extremely thick and were always useful for kicking demons on missions. The boots had laces all the way up its front, and had a steel toe cap, also soaked in holy water. The boots reached all the way to the bottom of her kneecaps, thus covering the tighter fabric around her calves. As Ryujin slipped on the other shoe and finished lacing it, she chewed on her lip. Her hair fell into her face and she growled in irritation, shoving the hair back impatiently. She stood when her shoes were secure and pulled her hair up into a ponytail, tying it with her leather string. She stretched and sighed, raising her arms above her head and rolling her shoulders to loosen the muscles. She reached out and grabbed her trench coat, shrugging it on as the tail flared out behind her. She untucked its collar and walked over to her window, reaching out to pull the window closed. She yawned once again and rubbed a hand down her face, shuffling to the door of her room and leaving, locking it behind her as she stalked down the halls, gritting her teeth and blinking the sleep from her eyes.

As she walked, she couldn't help but think back to when she woke up. Had she been dreaming?... She hadn't done that since she was a kid. She raised a hand and placed it over the side of her face, coming to a stop in the middle of the hallway. She frowned and pressed her hand hard into her skin, eyes darkening. Was it a premonition? She shook her head and clenched her fists, beginning to walk again, speeding up slightly. It was her turn to patrol, and she needed a clear head to do her job efficiently. She was still frowning when she reached the staircase. She was on the highest floor, which was six stories up. Without giving it a second thought, she gripped the mahogany railing and vaulted over it, sailing towards the rapidly approaching ground. Her coat was flying up behind her, as was her hair, and she noticed a figure making their way down the stairs. She almost laughed as she dropped down past them, making them grunt in surprise and stumble back. She reached a hand out and gripped the lowest staircase railing, swinging herself effortlessly as she spun to land on it, crouching low before hopping down easily. She looked up to see Sorano and Richard gawping over the edge of the railing at her. She took satisfaction in the terror and shock in their faces and continued on, refusing to acknowledge them. Her pace had picked up significantly as she made her way to the large doors that led to the courtyard. Two villagers were leaving through them, and she walked behind them, holding the door open for herself as it began to close on her. The villagers hadn't noticed her, and so let out terrified shrieks as she vaulted over them and began walking quickly to the drawbridge. They looked like cleaners to her, but they sure as hell were taking their time in doing their job. A figure leaned against the stone wall next to the large wooden bridge, shrouded by shadows. They stepped forward when they noticed her coming and she shoved her hands in her pockets, strolling casually towards them. Cana grinned at her as Ryujin approached, winking at her as she stopped in front of her, looking at her nonchalantly. Cana was as scantily clad as ever, with only a jacket covering her bikini top. Ryujin chose not to comment on her attire as the Dragon Slayer reached out to the drawbridge, mindful of the villagers behind them as her hand lit up, a spell circle forming around her palm as she laid her hand on the worn wood. The circle had five layers, and she began muttering in a strange language as the circles began to link together and glow brighter before disappearing with a rush of warm air.

**"First Layer: Release."**

**"Second Layer: Unlock."**

**"Third Layer: Open."**

**"Fourth Layer: Undo."**

**"Fifth Layer: Shatter."**

Ryujin's ponytail blew out behind her, as did her coat and Cana's clothes and hair as the spell on the drawbridge disintegrated. Hearing the shocked gasps of the villagers she rolled her eyes as the bridge began to lower. She glanced at Cana out of the corner of her eye.

"I take it that you checked the perimeter before allowing me to open the gates?" Her voice was as serious as ever, but anyone who knew Ryujin could tell that she was familiar with Cana. A certain tolerance in her normally stony eyes glinted as they walked outside, and she waited for the villagers to scramble out and the bridge to lift again before resealing it. Stepping in front of it, she placed her hand on the wood, fingers spread and eyes narrowed slightly in concentration as she started chanting.

**"In the name of Hoseki, King of the Sapphire Dragons and my father, I command that those inside this building are to be granted his protection. Sealing Spell: Binding Lock."**

The magic circles shone so brightly that for a few moments it burned her eyes before they broke up and spread rapidly over the castle walls, bright tails trailing behind them. They faded away and Ryujin lowered her hand, turning around to stalk back over to Cana, who was watching her in bemusement. She shoved her hands in her pockets as she passed the Card Mage, fully intending to Shift and run to the village and allow Cana to use her magic to keep up, but apparently other people had other ideas.

Ryujin stopped and scowled fiercely at the villagers hiding behind a tree and whispering to each other, shifting nervously on their feet as the youngest sibling of the Dragon Slayer Trio practically burned a hole in their faces. If looks could kill...

"You're not supposed to be here," she barked suddenly, making them jump. "Go to the damn carriages already." She clenched her jaw when Cana's slender hand fell onto her shoulder, and she twisted her neck to scowl at the Mage. Her lips were pursed, and Ryujin shook her off hastily, a growl rumbling in her throat as she whirled to face her companion. Cana frowned at her and her eyes flicked over her shoulder to an area behind the girl. A low, guttural snarl reached Ryujin's ears and she spun back around, stepping forward and raising her hand to her mouth, clenching it into a fist and pressing it against her lips. Her glove and fingers erupted into a bright white light and she reached out to grip the upper arm of one of the villagers and shoving her roughly behind her, giving the other the same treatment. They both let out terrified cries as she stepped forward and raised her hand above her head, willing the light to strengthen and chase the shadows of the night away. After sparing a quick glance to Cana over her shoulder she saw that she was standing protectively in front of the villagers, cards drawn and ready to attack. Her posture was rigid and her mouth was drawn into a thin line as she made eye contact with Ryujin. The Dragon Slayer's eyes were impassive and dull, completely devoid of fear as she turned back around.

"Stay here." She said abruptly before striding off, raising her hand higher above her head as she headed off the trail. The growling became louder, followed by scratching sounds and clicking, and she narrowed her eyes, shifting on her feet as she came to a stop, straining to listen. The sound of her boots crunching on gravel and snapping twigs had momentarily distracted her from the fact that everything had gone deadly silent. She halted her breathing and scanned her eyes over what the light reached. It was too quiet.

A loud, guttural snarl caught her off guard, and it was all the wolf needed to attack. It launched itself at her, forcing a surprised grunt out of Ryujin as she snapped her arm up, frowning as the animal clamped its jaws around the metal band of her gloves through the coat. The sound of teeth clanging against metal rang out, and the wolf let out a yelp as it released her, landing back on its feet as she lowered her arm and stared down at it coolly. She straightened her posture and loomed over the creature, staring intensely at its eyes, refusing to let go.

_Submit._

The animal held her stare for a few moments before a high pitched whine curled in its throat and it dropped to its belly, rolling over and exposing its neck to her. She let out a satisfied huff and stalked over to it, her eyes burning brightly in the near pitch black of the night. Her pupils had narrowed to slits, and the only word that could be used to describe how the girl appeared at that very moment was _'Alpha'._

She glared down at the animal for a few further moments before relaxing and unclenching her fists, crouching down to press a hand over the animal's eyes. Its ears twitched and its tail thumped up and down, making the girl raise a brow. She scoffed and rose fluidly, turning on her heel and striding back to Cana, but pattering footsteps behind her made her pause and glance over her shoulder, shooting the wolf an incredulous look as it stopped and looked up to her, keeping its head tilted submissively as it wagged its tail. She narrowed her eyes at the canine and turned back around to face it, frowning deeply at it. She raised her arms and made shooing motions, trying to scare it off. The stupid fucker had other plans, however, as it sat on its haunches and yipped up at her, panting as its tongue hung out of its mouth. She scowled at it and stepped close to it, slamming her foot onto the ground, making a loud crash and shaking the earth. From a few hundred metres back, she could hear the villagers cry out and Cana swearing profusely as they staggered. The wolf startled and darted away, turning and slipping back into the underbrush as Ryujin stared at it, watching it go. She silently turned and climbed out, heading calmly back to a pissed-looking Cana. She motioned for them to come forward and adjusted the now torn sleeve of her coat, her fingers trailing over the bloody holes in her arm absently. She chewed on her lip and quickly began healing herself, turning her back to Cana so that the Mage couldn't see what she was doing. The arm that was injured was the one which she was using the Light spell with, and it illuminated and exaggerated her features, casting dark shadows across her face as she concentrated. She was aware of Cana rapidly approaching and cursed under her breath. If the Card Mage saw the injury she would demand that they returned so that Ryujin could be treated, and the Dragon Slayer was in no mood to put up with the Guild's irritating antics.

Whilst she cared deeply for Fairy Tail, she saw them as over the top sometimes in their manner of actions. They were necessary if Sting had decided to call for their help, but the village chief had been less than amused when he had been informed that he would have to pay another Guild's S-Class Mages for their services, and had questioned Sabertooth's competency, much to his sibling's fury. Ryujin had been sorely tempted to tear the villager in half for daring to doubt their power, but had quickly been put under house arrest in order to protect herself and those around her. Tonight was her first visit to the village since the argument, and to say she was unwilling to provide her services was an understatement. The village was unaware of Crime Sorciere's presence, and it was decided that this would remain unchanged as the three Guilds worked together.

Ryujin finished healing herself just as Cana reached her and shot her an impassive look as the villagers crowded around, chattering in an anxious tone as they practically clung to the Dragon Slayer. She growled lowly in her throat and shook them off, taking a step away from them in order to allow Cana to calm them down. The Card Mage scowled over her shoulder at her companion, a questioning look in her eyes as she met Ryujin's gaze, earning an eye roll and an impassive hand wave.

"It was just a wolf," The sudden crack of her voice made the villagers flinch, earning a sharp glare from the already agitated Mage. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Tch. This is such a pain in the ass."

-

The excited babbling of the villagers was really starting to grate Ryujin's nerves. She sat behind one of Skiadrum's massive ears, one leg pulled up to her chest while the other was stretched out, her arms loosely laced around her curled limb. Strands of her hair had fallen from her ponytail and now flyaway parts fluttered in the wind and around her face, covering her eyes several times as the Shadow Dragon soared through the air. Her face was a clean slate, completely devoid of any emotion as she stared blankly out past Skiadrum's head. The same calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen with Cana, however. The aforementioned Mage was sitting at the nape of the dragon's head, clinging to his black scales as if her life depended on it. Her expression was warped and twisted with terror, and when Ryujin shifted, she let out a panicked cry, earning an eye roll from her companion. The Dragon Slayer was perched right behind Skiadrum's ear, which were positioned at either side of his head. Her back was facing the open air as she leaned her shoulder against his large ear, his familiar scales rubbing against her cheek. 

It was theorized centuries ago that a dragon's scales were alike to a human's fingerprints in the sense that their textures were all exclusive to one dragon. Ryujin had made history when she had proved this theory to be true. She had presented the scales of a Shadow, White and Earth Dragon to scientists for inspection, and they had concluded that different species of dragons did indeed have different types of scales, but this alone could not have proven that dragons of the same species had differentiating features in their scales. When another set of scales from the same species of dragons previously used had been presented, it had shaken the world of dragon biology and forensics to its very core. When the twelve Dragon scales had been examined and compared, test results concluded that they had different weights, sizes, and reacted differently when certain catalysts were added to them. The Shadow Dragon scales had also disproved the Theory of Delusional Magical Manifestations, in which the theory was that a Shadow Dragon's scales were simply opaque gas and had no physical matter whatsoever, and thus preached the idea that Shadow Dragons were merely illusions created by powerful manifestations of magic power. The Shadow Dragon scales were weighed and the results concluded that scales from behind the left hind leg weighed five pounds, whereas scales from the arms of the wings weighed two pounds less than on the legs. Gas from around the scales was collected and tested, and results showed that when the gas was separated, small solid objects weighing a pound lighter than when the gas was present were revealed. These scales were able to react to shadow in the sense that when immersed in darkness, they became no longer solid and were able to disappear within the shadows and reappeared when light was shone on them. The textures of the leg and wing scales once again proved to be different, as the leg scales were much thicker and coarser than when compared to the other scales of the dragon's leg, which were significantly smoother and lighter. When questioned, Ryujin had revealed that the dragons who provided the scales were indeed spirits bound to her, as many people had accused her of forging due to the rarity of dragons. 

Skiadrum had been one of the dragons to provide his scales, and Ryujin recalled his reaction when she had explained the Theory of Delusional Magical Manifestations to him. He had been less than pleased, to say the least. Skiadrum's scales emitted a black, shadow-like gas, and so her vision was obscured in her right eye as she leaned into him, the solid pebbles of his scales soothing against the ticklish sensation of the gas on her skin. She glanced over to Cana again and raised a brow when the Mage reached a trembling hand out to her, gesturing for her to come over to her. Ryujin closed her eyes and rolled her head back before pushing herself up to her feet, striding over to Cana and crouching down next to her. Cana gripped onto her coat and tugged, trying to pull her down to her level. She didn't budge and scowled down at the Mage, her eyes narrowing as she pulled her coat away.

"I would appreciate it greatly if you would stop trying to tear my clothes, Cana." Her voice was laced with irritation as the alcoholic released her and she took a step back, smoothing down her clothing and shooting Cana a sharp glare. She glanced up to the villagers, still chattering excitedly and sighed. She motioned to them and Cana craned her neck, making a concerned noise in the back of her throat as she saw how close to falling they were. Ryujin blew out an irritated sigh and reached under her shirt collar, fishing out a necklace and raising it to her lips, biting down on the crystal and releasing it, letting it rest over her chest as it lit up, the light stretching across Skiadrum, down to his tail. The villagers looked up to her and cooed as she turned her body halfway, aware of the fact that anyone could now see them.

"Skiadrum, please increase your output of shadows to cover us." The rumble in the massive dragon's throat told her that her command had been heard, and the shadows on his back began stretching and warping, twisting to envelop them. Ryujin turned back to shoot the villagers a stern stare, capturing their attention fully as they looked meekly back at her, shuffling on their feet under her scrutiny.

"These shadows are an illusion to conceal this light from any enemies. It is not a wall, so do not lean against it if you do not want to fall to your death." Her voice made them visibly shiver, as they pressed closer to each other. She narrowed her eyes at them and blew out a sigh of frustration as she sank down next to Cana, doing her best to ignore the Mage's shaking. 

"Stop that, you're a Fairy Tail Mage," she hissed, eyeing Cana as she sent her an incredulous look. "The villagers are showing more courage than you are, for fuck's sake." The hiss of her voice was like sleet on a tin roof, and she knew that she was not doing anything to calm her comrade; if anything, she was only making things worse. She wasn't a fucking babysitter for the love of god, Cana was older than her and should be conducting herself accordingly in front of their client's subordinates. The village Chief was already suspicious of them, and was looking for any reason to send Fairy Tail away. For all they knew, these villagers could be spies, and Cana's obvious display of weakness would be a goldmine of reasons to get rid of the Guild. Ryujin sighed again and reached out, placing two fingers against Cana's forehead and sending her thoughts to her. Cana stiffened and looked up to her, a troubled expression flashing in her eyes as the Slayer began pulling her hand away. She paused, and then returned her fingers to the Mage's face, locating the area of her brain where adrenaline was created and sent out, and sent a pulse of magic energy through it, slowing its processing down and easing her anxiety. Ryujin pulled her hand away after .8 seconds and Cana relaxed next to her, slumped into her side. The Slayer cringed away from the sudden rush of warmth, gritting her teeth as Cana blinked up at her.

_Don't touch me._

She set her jaw and looked ahead, the cavernous illusion of being shrouded in the shadows exaggerating her features cast by the light in her necklace.

"I slowed down your brain's processing of adrenaline, so you should be fine until we touch down. Just don't move as it will disrupt the waves." She shot to her feet, stalking over and curling up next to Skiadrum's ear again, leaning back against the massive appendage as she fidgeted with her necklace. It was a moonstone, looking similar to an opal, with a small silver dragon curled around the sphere. A black leather string held it suspended, the worn out material familiar in her fingers as she fiddled with it. The necklace had been a gift from Sting and Rogue on her fifteenth birthday, when her body had been at war with itself and the power of shadows within her. He had given it to her and told her,  _"If you ever feel that you don't have the strength to fight the shadows, eat this and light will come."_ His speech had touched her, until she had found out that Rogue had told him to say it. Her sibling had felt incredibly guilty that it was his power causing her so much pain, and had researched for months to find a cure. The stone in the necklace would, if she were to fully eat it, stimulate her ability to use White Dragon magic and essentially unlock White Drive. It was originally used thousands of years ago when demons and dragons ruled the world and the humans were desperate for power. Human experiments were a common occurrence back then, and the necklace around Ryujin's neck was the sole survivor of these experiment results. She knew the history of the necklace, and as disturbing as it was, the necklace was extremely useful to her. 

She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't realised how much time had passed until everyone lurched as Skiadrum began his descent, startling the Mage as the unexpected shift forced her shoulder to collide with his hard back, forcing a grunt out of her as she blinked in surprise. Her necklace slipped out of her grasp and it fell onto her chest, the leather swinging wildly. The villagers cried out in alarm and Ryujin slammed her foot through the shadowy wall, instantly destroying the veil and exposing them once more to the night sky. Trees were much more spaced out now, and as the scowling Mage shoved herself up to her feet and scrambled up to lean on Skiadrum's ear, moving back when it began lowering in order to make his body more streamlined. Ryujin's coat began flapping in the wind behind her as she shoved her hands into her trouser pockets, raising a leg and stepping halfway up onto the top of his head in order to see over the dragon. The village lights were now visible, no more than a mile away. The Slayer frowned and looked down at the dragon, pursing her lips.

 _'He's uneasy about this,'_ she mused to herself.  _'Normally when flying, Skiadrum would take us two miles outside of the destination, in order to reduce the amount of collateral damage of his wing's winds to a minimum. His wingspan is thirty two metres on either side, with a grand total of sixty four metres. Surveying the landscape below, any clearing would have to be no less than forty metres in order to fit his body. If he stands on his hind legs and tucks his wings in as tightly as possible, he would be twenty metres wide. His tail would also be a problem, unless he wraps it around a leg, which would mean that the clearing would need to increase from being forty metres to forty five. Looking at the structure and width of these trees, Skiadrum would have had land at **least** six hundred metres back. He knows that, yet he is still proceeding, which means that either there is something in the forest that is unnerving him, or that he senses something following us which he feels I cannot face and defeat.'_

Ryujin crouched down, reaching out and placing her palm against the crown of Skiadrum's head and opening her Eyes. His feelings shot through her, the sheer intensity of them catching her off guard as she stiffened, her breath catching in her throat as she attempted to fend off the emotions from the villagers and Cana, and focused on tuning into Skiadrum alone. 

Determination, anger, and...  _fear?_

She lifted her lip, a shocked scowl forming on her face as she recoiled, her fingers pressing hard against Skiadrum's scales as she recollected herself and opened a Link to his mind.

 _'Something bothers you.'_ The massive dragon almost flinched, regaining his composure at the last moment. His eyes slid up to her and they narrowed ever so slightly before returning his gaze to the path in front of him. He remained silent for a few moments before replying.

_'I would not label it as that, young Ryujin.'_

_'It's blatantly obvious that you're feeling anxious. The chemicals in your brain that produce adrenaline have begun quickening their pulses. An obvious sign of discomfort and fear.'_

Skiadrum growled lowly and shifted his neck slightly, shaking his head gently. Ryujin narrowed her eyes and removed her hand, scowling.

"Take us back to the nearest clearing. We will walk the villagers to their respective homes and then begin the patrol." Her tone was clipped and left no room for argument, her scowl deepening when Skiadrum growled very lowly, his version of shaking his head. 

"Tch. Take us back, or I will make everyone jump."

"M'Lady!" Skiadrum's sharp exclaim drew everyone's attention, unable to understand him they looked to Ryujin for trsnslations. She ignored them, narrowing her eyes at Skiadrum's head. He sighed and slowed, hovering in the air, beating his massive wings slowly.

"I sense evil eminating very strongly from this area. I will take you as close as I can, and allow you to carry them down." His voice was troubled but Ryujin was relieved at how she didn't have to force him to obey her. She braced herself as he turned back, swinging his massive body midair and lowering himself to the grounds. When she could no longer see the village lights, Ryujin tapped the top of Skiadrum's head, and when he paused, she picked up the larger of the villagers, and jumped over the edge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
